By Aliia Raimbekova and Baris Seckin
KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Ukraine signed security cooperation agreements Saturday with Italy and Canada as it entered the third year of the war with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X: “Our meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are always meaningful. Today we have an important result. We signed a bilateral security cooperation agreement between Ukraine and Italy.”
Zelenskyy and Meloni discussed further support for Ukraine in the context of Italy’s G7 Presidency.
“I am grateful to Italy for its support of Ukraine and our defense capabilities, as well as recovery efforts and approval of military aid until the end of 2024,” he added.
Zelenskyy said he signed a security cooperation agreement with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which allocates more than $2.2 billion in macro-financial and defense assistance in 2024.
He also had a meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
“We must be no less active in Ukraine's European integration than we were last year. Together, we must address each of the existing disagreements in Europe – and we must together defend our Europe from all forms of Russian aggression against Europe. Our Europe is and will remain among the global leaders,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Russia launched its "special military operation" on Ukraine exactly two years ago on Feb. 24, 2022.
*Writing by Gozde Bayar