Biden Invites Unlikely Ally to W.H. to Help Ukraine
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| President Biden and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy met in the Oval Office on Friday. The two sought to project unity on several foreign policy fronts.Bonnie Cash for The New York Times |
By Zolan Kanno-Youngs
Reporting from Washington
President Biden turned to an unlikely ally on Friday in his drive to build support for Ukraine’s war effort as U.S. aid falters, declaring during a White House visit by the far-right prime minister of Italy that the two leaders “have each other’s backs” and “have Ukraine’s back.”
The warm tone, a striking departure from Mr. Biden’s assessment of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni when she was elected, extended to several foreign policy fronts, as the leaders sought to portray themselves as united on topics including confronting global migration and trying to prevent a broader war in the Middle East.
“As you said when we first met here in the Oval, Giorgia, we have each other’s backs,” Mr. Biden said. “We do, and you’ve demonstrated that from the moment you took office.”
But Mr. Biden highlighted their unity on Kyiv’s efforts to fend off an invasion by President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia, creating a contrast with conservatives in Congress. “We also have Ukraine’s back,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s why I’m urging the House of Representatives to pass legislation” that would send billions of dollars to fund the war effort.
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