Dear President Zelensky, dear Volodymyr,

the days we are living through are not like others. They are unique days, for Ukraine and for all of us.

Today is 25 November and, together, we commemorate the victims of the Holodomor, when ninety years ago the Soviet regime starved millions of your people to death.

Today is also the 640th day of the Ukrainian people’s heroic resistance against Russia’s war of aggression. It is the 640th day of resistance against those who wanted to bring your people to their knees with bombs, darkness, cold and hunger. They have not been successful, thanks to your heroism and the love you have for your freedom and your independence.

That is why today’s ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative takes on extremely powerful symbolic value. Italy very much welcomes the desire of the government in Kyiv to continue with this initiative and intends to offer an additional contribution of EUR 2 million. In this context, we once again ask Russia to rejoin the Black Sea Grain Initiative in order to ensure that Ukrainian agricultural products can reach international markets and in particular help the most fragile nations facing the most hardship in terms of food security.

The commitment Italy is making to the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative today forms part of the comprehensive support – military, financial and humanitarian – that we have guaranteed to Ukraine since the first day of the invasion.

Italy is and will be by your side for as long as it takes, because Ukraine’s future is a future of peace, it is a future of freedom, it is a European future.

The Ukrainian people can count on Italy. We have always been there for you, and we will always be there.

[Courtesy translation]