During his visit to the Ambrosetti International Economic Forum in Italy on Sept. 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine is building weapons underground to supply the military in case there are delays in receiving military aid from other countries. Zelensky also met with local business leaders and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to discuss the ongoing conflict with Russia and the need for additional aid to defend against Russian aggression.
“We are building underground facilities for the production of weapons so that Ukrainian soldiers can defend themselves even when supplies from our partners are delayed,” Zelensky stated. He also mentioned that Ukraine has developed new drones and missiles to “return the war to the Russian territory” and put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek peace.
Zelensky’s trip to Italy followed his visit to Germany, where he received additional pledges of military assistance at the 24th Ramstein group meeting and held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “Our people are under constant threat of Russian missile and drone strikes every, every night and every day,” Zelensky said in Italy, referencing recent deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Italy has committed a total of 1.7 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in economic and military assistance to Ukraine as of June 2024. As the host of the 2024 G7 summit, Italy announced a $50 billion loan for Ukraine covered by frozen Russian assets proceeds. Italy will also host the 2025 Recovery Conference, inviting officials from 77 countries and 500 companies to discuss aid for Ukraine.
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