Zelensky meets US Senators on sidelines of Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome

Rome, July 11 (IANS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with US Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Italy, Rome.

“I had a good meeting with US Senators and Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. I’m grateful for their participation in the Ukraine Recovery Conference, as well as in the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing. It is important that the United States joined this format – for the first time,” Zelensky said in a post on X.

“Our current priority is bolstering air defence. Russia is aiming to launch attacks involving up to a thousand drones at once. That is why it is crucial to scale up protection, particularly by investing in interceptor drones. We also discussed the continued supply of weapons from the United States and joint weapons production. We are ready for different formats, including purchasing a large defence package from the United States, jointly with Europe, to protect lives,” the post added.

The Ukrainian President emphasised that during the meeting, they discussed the bill introduced by Senators Graham and Blumenthal regarding additional restrictive measures against Russia and those supporting its war effort.

“Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty. Thank you for the meeting and for working together in the name of peace and security,” Zelensky stated.

The fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference is scheduled from July 10-11 in Rome. The conference is a part of the annual series of high-level political events dedicated to the “swift recovery and long-term reconstruction of Ukraine” since the beginning of “Russia’s full-scale war of aggression” against Ukraine.

Additionally, the meeting of leaders of the coalition of willing and international organisations was also held in Rome on Thursday, with the participation of President of Ukraine Zelensky. The event brought together representatives of 32 countries.

The meeting was attended by US Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, and the US President's Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg.

In a statement from the Ukrainian President’s office, Zelensky expressed his gratitude to everyone who attended the event, both in person and online. He specifically thanked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for organising the meeting. Additionally, Zelensky noted that it was the first time representatives from the United States had attended this meeting format.

“Thank you to President Trump. His signals are very, very important, and we count on them. I am sure that in the future we will develop a coalition of those who want to be together, and this is important,” said Zelenskyy during the meeting.

--IANS

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