The Ukrainian leader, in his speech in Cernobbio, says: “Italy is doing everything to achieve peace”. Earlier today it was the turn of Hungarian Prime Minister Orban. He reiterated that for the conflict in Ukraine “the point is first the ceasefire, then dialogue and finally the peace plan. If there is no dialogue at an appropriate time the escalation grows and everything becomes more difficult”. And on Meloni he says: “She is not just a political colleague but a ‘Christian sister’. Together we can open a new era”
Giorgia Meloni is my “Christian sister”. At the beginning “this relationship did not play an important role in European politics, but now together we can open a new era”. This is what Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, who, a guest at the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, reiterated: “A meeting between Putin and Zelensky is certainly possible and necessary”. And he hopes that Donald Trump will be “the next president of the United States”. In the afternoon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also arrived at Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, where he spoke at the Teha Forum around 7 pm. Before that, for about an hour, he met with the Ambassador of the United States of America to Italy Jack Markell and a group of senators from the American Congress.
Zelensky: “Moscow uses ballistic missiles supplied by Iran”
“Putin is trying to launch more missiles to kill more children. We try to defend ourselves” as best we can, “but they also attack with ballistic missiles that come from Iran,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Teha Forum underway in Cernobbio. He then added: “We appreciate all the steps that Italy has taken to support Ukraine, all those who help us for peace. We want to end the war, but not at the expense of our country. And Russia leaves us only the choice to fight. Italy is doing everything, it is with us to carry forward the peace formula. Kiev is not asking for anything more than what your country or others have done or are doing. We want children not to suffer anymore. We want the Ukrainian heritage not to be destroyed by the Russians.”
Zelensky: “Putin won’t give up until he destroys us”
“I think Putin does not want to give up until he destroys us,” Zelensky said, answering a question at the Teha Forum in Cernobbio. “His only mission is to destroy us. How can you start a dialogue like this? He is a murderer,” the president continued. “Ukraine must come to any negotiations with a strong point. For this we need allies. I will tell President Biden and other G7 partners how we can get Putin to sit down at the table and end the war. We must force Putin to make peace, he does not want it,” Zelensky added.
Zelensky: Long-Range Weapons Don’t Cover Distances We’d Like
“About long-range weapons. Thank you for the support of Minister Tajani, we have excellent relations with him and I am grateful for the defense systems that were made available by you because they helped us save those children who were not deported and who are still in Ukraine,” Zelensky said. Regarding the fears among allies that Kiev could directly attack the Kremlin if it were given the green light to use long-range missiles on Russian territory, “it is a pity that it cannot be done,” Zelensky added ironically. Shortly afterward, the Ukrainian president clarified that he was “joking.” “Long-range weapons cover 200-300 kilometers, so they are incapable of reaching the distances we would like,” he added.
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Orbán: “I will try to support the Commission as much as possible”
Orbán spoke today, according to whom “having the same cultural bases plays a more important role than in the past” and Giorgia Meloni “is not just a political colleague but a ‘Christian sister'”. “This concept – he explains – has a fundamental political meaning for Hungary but I also believe for Italy and this cultural aspect of politics will return to Europe as it should be”. “The previous European Commission – continues Orbán – has proven to be a failure in terms of competitiveness of the European economy, immigration and stopping the war”. According to the Hungarian Prime Minister “today in Brussels they have decided to create substantially the same Commission, so even if I think that people can change and do better than before, it is very hard to believe. I will try to support the Commission as much as possible, but being a rational man I think they have ignored the voters’ desire for change”. “The same establishment – he concludes – is still there in Brussels and that is not a good thing”. “It doesn’t seem to me that Giorgia Meloni has run for election in Germany,” he says, answering the question of whether the Prime Minister is the ‘new Merkel’.
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Orbán: “First a ceasefire, then dialogue and a peace plan”
Speaking about the war in Ukraine, the Hungarian prime minister says: “There is a great literature in Europe on how to create peace and this abundant literature is about dialogue, which if it is not there at the right time the escalation grows and everything becomes more difficult. Then there is the ceasefire, on which there is a misunderstanding in Western public opinion, according to which we should first make a peace plan, then open negotiations and then implement the ceasefire”. “But that is not the case – he underlines – because looking at the most recent experiences of the trials and together with my personal experience my point is first the ceasefire, then the dialogue and finally the peace plan”. With Zelensky “we have a good relationship, what is he talking about?”, he then replies to those who asked him if he intended to make peace with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. “Dialogue is really important. If there is no dialogue there is no chance for peace”.
in-depth analysis
Ambrosetti Forum 2024 in Cernobbio, the program and guests
Orbán: “Migration disintegrates the EU”
“Migration is increasingly disintegrating the European structure” and “it would be much better to grant the opt-out” to EU countries that do not want to follow the common policy, “instead of forcing them to stay together”, says Orbán at the Ambrosetti Forum. “There is a serious problem in Italy and in many countries” that have “decided to let many migrants in” and now have “difficulties managing coexistence”, unlike Hungary that has “never let them in”: decisions should belong “to national sovereignty”.
Orbán: “Europe must reconsider the Green Deal”
The Hungarian Prime Minister also talks about the Green Deal: “When I talk about the competitiveness of Europe I mean first of all the reconsideration of the Green Deal because now the Green Deal is managed against the business community and the logic and interest of European companies”. Then he says he met with all the leaders of the major European car manufacturers: “They told me that ‘the Green Deal’ is against their interests. Why are we doing this? It is obvious that ‘this way the EU’ is not managing things properly”.
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Orbán: “Salis at EU Parliament is Italian style, not Hungarian”
According to Orbán, “it is strange” to see Ilaria Salis sitting in the European Parliament. “It is an Italian issue,” he explains, “and if you like to delegate this type of person, it is your business.” “From Hungary’s point of view,” he insists, “it is more than surprising: coming to Hungary in an organized way and committing acts of violence against citizens walking down the street and then being elected to the European Parliament is in the Italian style, not Hungarian.” “It is a crime,” he concludes, “even if we cannot prosecute her now because the Parliament will probably grant her immunity.” Then, when asked if Raffaele Fitto could be a valid vice-president of the Commission, he replies: “I am not the president of the European Commission, I am only the president of the Council, but I know Fitto and he is an exceptional man.”
in-depth analysis
European Parliament, who made his debut: from Salis to Vannacci. PHOTO
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NATO military spending, Italy still far from the 2% threshold
The summit in Washington is an opportunity for the Alliance to reiterate the need for all countries to reach 2% of their GDP in military spending and its commitment to Ukraine. Italy is one of the few states on the European continent that does not invest as much as it should: according to NATO estimates, in 2023 Rome spent 28.6 billion on Defense, about 10 billion less than the 39 billion envisaged by the threshold. This was discussed on “Numeri”, the Sky TG24 program aired on July 9, 2024
KIEV’S ENTRY INTO NATO AND COMMITMENT TO DEFENSE
- Ukraine’s accession to NATO It now seems only a matter of time. At its 75th summit in Washington, the Atlantic Alliance raises its voice against Vladimir Putin strengthening its commitment to Volodymyr Zelensky and guaranteeing it the long-awaited entry into the defense pact. The commitment towards Kiev and the countries’ military spending were the central themes of “Numeri”, the Sky TG24 program aired on July 9, 2024
IN 2021
- Before the war in Ukraine few countries on the European continent spent 2% of GDP for Defensethe minimum budget established by NATO: the only ones to do so were Great Britain, Poland, Greece, Latvia ed Estonia
IN 2024
- The speech changes in 2024: only the countries that spend less than 2% of GDP on defense are left Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia e Croatia