For Giorgia Meloni, supporting Ukraine has some useful benefits
It helps blunt criticism of her domestic agenda
Passengers waiting last month at Udine railway station in north-eastern Italy were astonished to see a slow-moving train rumble past carrying M109 howitzers, bound for Ukraine. A widely shared video gave Italians a glimpse of the reality behind their politicians’ expressions of support for Volodymyr Zelensky’s government. The shipment had in fact been authorised by the previous government of Mario Draghi. But Giorgia Meloni has maintained Italy’s Ukraine policy since replacing him as prime minister last year.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Calculated effort”
Europe May 20th 2023
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan beats his challenger as Turkey votes
- Volodymyr Zelensky’s European trip secures a lot more military backing
- How a front-line city became Ukraine’s romantic capital
- Fears about the reactors at Zaporizhia continue to mount
- For Giorgia Meloni, supporting Ukraine has some useful benefits
- Meet the lefty Europeans who want to shrink the economy
From the May 20th 2023 edition
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Five years after it was gutted by fire, the cathedral is more beautiful than ever
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