Zelensky Meloni Greeting Turns Awkward in Dublin

Volodymyr Zelensky reproached Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a brief hello at the informal EU summit in Dublin.

Zelensky Meloni Moment Stirs Talk in Dublin

Volodymyr Zelensky reproached Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni while the two leaders greeted each other. It happened on the sidelines of the informal European Union summit in Dublin. Italian outlet Il Fatto Quotidiano described the Zelensky Meloni exchange in detail.

The newspaper reported the conversation like this:

“How long it has been since we saw each other,” Meloni says warmly. <…> Zelensky replies drily <…>: “You didn’t want this…” Meloni answers diplomatically, smiling in embarrassment: “No”. Not the most pleasant moment for the head of the Italian government,” the article says.

When the Two Leaders Last Met

The newspaper pointed out that the pair last met at the NATO summit in Ankara. That meeting took place on July 7 and 8. The Zelensky Meloni greeting in Dublin was their first face to face moment since then.

Europe Names Its Russia Negotiators

Politico reported that the Dublin summit participants approved a team of negotiators. The team will handle contacts with Russia during future peace talks on Ukraine. The outlet said the group will include representatives from Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland. The European Commission and the Council of the EU will also send their representatives.