Italy Suspends Military Aid to Ukraine

The reason for the prolonged delay, according to La Repubblica, is disagreements within the ruling right-wing coalition. The government of Giorgia Meloni is hindered from resuming arms supplies to Kyiv by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, the leader of the far-right League party. On October 25, the politician publicly stated that Italy can no longer afford to support Ukraine and is ready to personally raise this issue before the Council of Ministers. Officially, Rome has not disclosed the content of the promised 13th military aid package for Kyiv, which was announced last winter. According to media leaks, it involves four batteries of SAMP/T NG anti-aircraft missile systems, Aster 30 interceptor missiles, long-range radars, and other important items for Ukraine. At the same time, there is uncertainty in Italy regarding how committed Salvini is to defending his stated position. La Repubblica suggests that the far-right politician's sharp statements could have been a tactical move during the League's congress. After successfully being re-elected as party leader, Salvini may return to his previous cautious support for Meloni's government's course on aiding Ukraine. Additionally, as journalists note, the Italian authorities are waiting due to the upcoming midterm elections in the U.S. In the unlikely event of success for the Republican Party, Rome may distance itself from Ukraine; in the expected victory of the Democrats, military aid could be resumed. "It seems they are waiting to see what happens with Donald Trump on November 3. And so they risked postponing the promises made to Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky, to whom the government promised a 'green light' by October," writes La Repubblica, as quoted by The Moscow Times.