Meloni urges bridge-building and says West must avoid risk of dividing on Ukraine.

Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Sunday on the sidelines of a leaders' summit to discuss a new peace plan in Ukraine.

The meeting, aimed at strengthening military cooperation and reaffirming support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, came just two days after fiery exchanges between Zelensky and US president Donald Trump in Washington.

The summit of 18 Western leaders, hosted by British prime minister Keir Starmer, included Italian premier Meloni, French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian prime minster Justin Trudeau and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

Announcing a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and defend the country from Russia, Starmer said that the UK, France and other countries would form a "coalition of the willing" and seek to involve the US in their support for Ukraine.

Meloni said that Italy and the UK can "build bridges" between Europe and the US, stessing: "I think it is very, very important that we avoid the risk of the West splitting. And I think that in this the UK and Italy can play an important role."

"If we divide ourselves that will make us all weaker”, Meloni said.

Dichiarazioni alla stampa con il Primo Ministro del Regno Unito @Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/qVT9rrXDqN

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) March 2, 2025

Meloni's bilateral meeting with Zelensky provided an opportunity "to reiterate Italy’s support for Ukraine and its people as well as its commitment, together with European and Western partners and the United States, to building a just and lasting peace that can ensure a future of sovereignty, security and freedom for Ukraine", her office said in a statement.

"A good meeting with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, to develop a joint action plan to end the war with a just and lasting peace" - Zelensky wrote on Telegram - "No one is interested in the continuation of the war, except Putin, so it is important to maintain unity around Ukraine and strengthen the position of our State in collaboration with allies."

On Friday, following the clash between Trump and Zelensky, Meloni had called for "an immediate summit" between the US, European states and allies to discuss Ukraine.

The rift between Trump and Zelensky is problematic for Meloni who has sought to walk a tightrope between nurturing her bond with the US president while also maintaining support for Ukraine.

Photo: Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky with Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi in Rome on 13 May 2023. Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com.