Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, gave Ukraine the assurance that the major democratic industrialized countries of the Group of Seven (G7) will continue to support it.

Italian media reports that Meloni declared that Italy’s G7 presidency would center around Russia’s aggression against the neighboring countries during a phone chat with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. Since the start of the year, Italy has been leading the group. The US, Germany, Canada, Britain, Japan, and France are the other members.Following the conversation, Zelensky commended Meloni for her backing of Ukraine’s aspirations to become a member of the EU. During the call, the head of state also shared information regarding the latest Russian strikes, according to a post on the social networking platform X.

“I am grateful to Italy and personally to Giorgia for their willingness to continue strengthening Ukraine’s air shield,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter. “Additional air defense saves lives and sustains normal life in our cities.”

For nearly two years, Ukraine has been fighting itself against the military invasion by Russia. The EU decided to begin accession talks with the government in mid-December.