Italy’s Latest Ukraine Aid Package Faces Delays Amid Coalition Disagreements
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MENAFNGiorgetti has yet to approve the prepared 13th aid package, despite assurances from Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani that the document would receive his signature, as differences among senior government officials persist over continued military support for Kyiv.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto reiterated Italy's commitment to Ukraine and urged European countries to preserve a unified position. The potential assistance includes air defense equipment and Aster missiles.
The package was expected to be submitted to the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (COPASIR) later Tuesday, although Giorgetti's signature remains necessary under the approval procedure.
"There's no mystery, no storm, no conflict. Just the physical impossibility of signing," Tajani, who also serves as deputy prime minister, told Rai radio earlier Tuesday.
He explained that Crosetto had been unable to sign the document because he was in Brussels on Monday. Tajani also maintained that the economy minister supported the assistance plan and that, "as soon as he arrives in Rome, he will sign the document."
Government sources indicated that Giorgetti had personally informed Meloni during a telephone conversation Tuesday night that the delay resulted from a technical matter, specifically his absence from the Italian capital.
However, coalition partner Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, has expressed support for campaigning to stop the transfer of financial assistance and weapons to Ukraine.
Crosetto defended the continuation of military support in a separate interview with Italian daily La Repubblica, warning that abandoning Kyiv could also expose Europe to serious risks.
"If an apartment four houses away from mine catches fire, I might even think it's not my problem. But if I don't notice the wind changing, suddenly, it could be my house that's burning," he said.
The latest uncertainty follows earlier reports last month that Italy's military assistance package remained suspended as Meloni's government awaited the results of the upcoming US midterm elections.
The approval process has already experienced several postponements, with the expected timeline moving from July to September before being pushed back until after the League's party congress scheduled for Oct. 24-25.
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