Ukraine's reconstruction conference kicks off in Rome. Fifty ministers and heads of state and government are in attendance.

It was supposed to be the event to give concrete impetus to Ukraine's rebirth following a truce. But with a ceasefire still far away, the Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which opens Thursday, July 10, in Rome, becomes an opportunity for the world to rally around Kiev. And to reaffirm the West's full support for Volodymyr Zelensky , who arrived in Italy for the occasion. On the eve of the conference, he met first with the Pope and then with Sergio Mattarella, who reiterated Italy's "firm position" of "full support" for Ukraine, emphasizing that "Kiev's security is synonymous with European security."

The Ukrainian leader will then be welcomed at the Nuvola in the EUR district by Giorgia Meloni, with whom he will open the Rome summit before participating remotely in the second eagerly awaited meeting of the tandem supporting Kiev: a call for the willing with Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, connected from the United Kingdom, to discuss the urgent issue of defending the country from increasingly severe Russian attacks. The US envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, will also be present from Rome, signaling renewed American momentum in supporting Kiev's fight amid the ongoing conflict between Trump and Putin.

In addition to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the entire government is participating in the two-day event in Rome, ready to welcome 5,000 participants to Rome. These include approximately 100 government delegations and 40 delegations from international organizations—including major development banks—as well as 2,000 businesses and representatives of local governments and civil society. Over 500 accredited journalists will follow the work, which will focus on four dimensions: business, human, local and regional, and reforms in the EU accession process.

Fifty ministers and heads of state and government are taking part in the conference, including EU Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who, along with Meloni and Zelensky, will open the conference. The organization is already declaring it a success, noting that the Rome summit's attendance exceeds that of previous meetings in Lugano (2022), London (2023), and Berlin (2024). But the real goal is to announce commitments to Ukraine in terms of funding and new agreements that will surpass—or at least match—the more than €16 billion in recovery funds for Ukraine received in Germany last year.

Meanwhile, Tajani, speaking in the Chamber of Deputies, announced Thursday's launch of a new €300 million SIMEST measure to support SMEs involved in Ukraine's reconstruction. " Supporting Kiev is not only a duty, it is an extraordinary opportunity for shared growth," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized. But along with the desired partnerships, joint ventures, and financial initiatives for the country's reconstruction, military support for Ukraine will likely also dominate the discussion in the Nuvola chamber: the EU is considering establishing a €100 billion fund to support Ukraine, which could be included in the proposal for the next seven-year EU budget, according to Bloomberg. The European Parliament is pushing for the supply of Taurus missiles, which Berlin remains vetoed, although it is considering purchasing more Patriot missiles from Washington.