I'd have liked Zelensky at Sanremo - Meloni

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 10 - Premier Giorgia Meloni said Friday that she was saddened that a row had broken out about the idea of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appearing in a video link on the last night of this week's Sanremo Song Festival Saturday.
    Instead of appearing, as previously announced, Zelensky is sending a written message to the annual music extravaganza to be read out by host and organizer Amadeus.
    Many Italian politicians said Zelensky's presence would have been inappropriate for a light entertainment event, while other commentators said it risked trivializing the war against the Russian invasion.
    But many others said they had no problem with giving the Ukrainian leader a platform to voice his gratitude to Italy for its aid.
    "I would have preferred Zelensky to have been present at Sanremo," Meloni told a news conference after the European summit, adding that she "appreciated" his decision to send a written message.
    "Above all, I'm sorry about the controversy that was stirred up.
    "It isn't easy to have politics fit into an event like Sanremo, although it is always present to a degree". (ANSA).