The following are excerpts from our sister website’s original Italian-language interview with Ambassador Yaroslav Melnyk.
On the effects of Russia’s invasion. “I have often repeated that Russia’s war against Ukraine has long since gone beyond our state’s borders. Almost every country on the continent has become hostage to the Kremlin’s ambitions to reform the established European political system according to the Russian scenario. Therefore, the response of our partners is coordinated and unified, for which we are sincerely grateful.”
On Ukraine’s requests. “It’s crucial for us to close the Ukrainian skies, because Russia does not stop bombing peaceful Ukrainian cities for even a minute. Our people are dying every day. The Kremlin is deliberately carrying out the genocide of the Ukrainian people, and it will not stop until we decisively repel it. And for that, we need weapons. We need fighter planes and long-range missiles, which our partners have.”
On Rome’s support to Kyiv. “Ukraine is very grateful to its Italian partners for their unwavering stance in supporting our country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity […] The recent visit of the Italian Prime Minister confirmed this support […] We are also sincerely grateful to Italy for its principled political support for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic path.”
- “We share universal and European values. We share the principles of the state, of a democratic society, and also a common vision of what a Europe free from Russian imperial ambitions should look like.”
On Italy’s commitment to reconstruction. “Italian companies are considerably committed to the post-war reconstruction of our country. We will hold a bilateral conference dedicated to reconstruction in Rome very soon, [which] will directly aim to unite Italian industry and business with Ukrainian partners.”
- “Of course, the main areas in urgent need of reconstruction and modernisation are critical infrastructure, road connections and energy systems. The Ukrainian agricultural sector must also be improved.”
- “Then there is the modernisation of logistics chains between Ukraine and Italy, as well as the possible localisation of Italian agricultural machinery production in Ukraine. As you can see, the plans are ambitious, long-term, and promising for both sides.”
On China’s stance. “Undoubtedly, we would very much like China to stand with Ukraine in protecting world stability, security and peace and force Russia to abandon its aggressive plans to take over Ukraine. I hope China’s political elite will make pragmatic assessments and rational decisions to prevent Russia’s war against Ukraine from evolving into a global conflict.”
