BARI – Volodymyr Zelensky expected “important decisions” at the G7 in Puglia, and so it was. The Borgo Egnazia summit chaired by Giorgia Meloni, who welcomed the Ukrainian leader on the first day of work, renewed the pact for political, military and economic support for Ukraine without uncertainty, despite almost two and a half years of war. The United States, Kiev’s main sponsor, has protected this support with an ambitious ten-year security agreement signed by Joe Biden and Zelensky. The Europeans also did their part, essentially: saying yes to a 50 billion loan to finance the resistance of the invaded country, using the profits of Russian assets frozen in their institutions as collateral.
The embrace with the Italian prime minister inaugurated Zelensky’s mission to Puglia, prepared with the aim of keeping the Ukrainian dossier at the top of the agenda of his main allies. The other leaders also greeted the Ukrainian leader with warm participation. “Every meeting serves to give Ukraine new opportunities for victory,” Zelensky underlined. Thanking all the partners, starting with the hostess. With which, he himself reported, “the next steps in our defense cooperation”, the “new military aid package” that Italy will provide and the “strengthening of the air defense system” were discussed: that is, the new Samp-t device that will be made available to Kiev, furthermore, the next conference on reconstruction will be held in 2025.
The new military aid will also be the centerpiece of the new Washington-Kiev security agreement. An agreement which in intention represents a further leap in quality compared to the already very generous American contribution to the Ukrainian cause. In particular, the US recognizes that Ukraine’s security can be guaranteed by providing it with significant military strength, robust capabilities and sustained investments in its defense industrial base that are consistent with NATO standards. And the American commitment in this direction will be substantial for the next ten years. Biden highlighted this in a press conference with Zelensky at the end of the day: “Only with our support can Kiev resist”, he said while the Ukrainian leader spoke of “a historic day”.
Zelensky in Puglia also received a bilateral agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which provides 4.5 billion dollars from Tokyo this year alone, and a ten-year commitment. Since the start of the Russian invasion, Kiev had already signed security agreements with 15 countries, including Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Another key dossier in Puglia for support for Ukraine was that relating to Russian assets frozen in Western banks. The confrontation between the G7 partners required long weeks of work by the Sherpas, because the Europeans countered US pressure with doubts of a technical-legal nature and opportunities. In the end, a political agreement was reached, which will be included in the final communiqué of the summit. As hoped for by the Americans in repeated discussions with the Italian presidency. The scheme is to grant additional financial support to Ukraine of around $50 billion by the end of the year with a system of loans, guaranteed by the proceeds of frozen Russian assets. The technicians will now have to outline how to make this plan feasible from a legal and operational point of view. “It is not a question of confiscation but of accruing profits”, clarified Meloni, however saying she was “proud” for an “unforeseen result”. She was echoed by Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz, who spoke of “a strong Putin signal” and a “historic step”.
In Borgo Egnazia there is also ample space for the other front of the war. The Big Seven reiterated their support for the three-phase Biden plan which first calls for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate the release of the hostages. But in the future, Meloni underlined, we must remain anchored to the objective of “two peoples and two States”. Finally, everyone agrees on the need for Israel to stop in Rafah.
