Italian coalition splits over new Ukraine aid package amid Abu Dhabi talks
Italy's governing coalition is divided over a new military aid package for Ukraine after League minister Giancarlo Giorgetti delayed signing it.
Italy's governing coalition has split over a new military aid package for Ukraine, just after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni secured a role for Rome in the sidelines of peace talks under way in Abu Dhabi, Euronews reported. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto presented the latest package to parliament's security committee, Copasir, on Tuesday, but League Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has delayed signing the measure, as the procedure requires.
Without Giorgetti's signature, the aid decree cannot be published and neither the military nor civilian assistance it contains can be sent, Euronews reported. The package reportedly includes generators and other civilian aid as well as weapons for , potentially including Aster missiles for the Franco-Italian Samp-T air-defence system already supplied to Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Crosetto have played down the delay, saying Giorgetti was in Brussels for a meeting of EU finance ministers on Monday and that the classified document must be signed in person rather than electronically, Euronews reported. Crosetto said he was confident Giorgetti would sign once he returned, and defended the need to keep supporting Kyiv.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who leads the League alongside Giorgetti, has repeatedly voiced reservations about military aid to Ukraine, while Meloni has remained firm that support should continue "for as long as necessary", Euronews reported. League senator Claudio Borghi criticised the package on social media, calling it a "decree that does not exist" until all ministers sign it.
The dispute comes as the first day of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US in Abu Dhabi concluded after four and a half hours, with President Volodymyr Zelensky describing the session as "constructive and quite substantive" and naming the release of prisoners as Kyiv's priority, Kyiv Post reported. Zelensky said the delegations had discussed humanitarian steps, security guarantees and the need for de-escalation, with talks due to resume on Wednesday.
The framework decree underpinning Italy's aid packages, first introduced by the Draghi government in 2022 and renewed since, is due to expire at the end of the year, Euronews reported. It has allowed Rome to send a series of earlier military aid packages to Ukraine over four years, each requiring only a briefing to Copasir rather than a parliamentary vote.
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What we know
- Italy's governing coalition is split over the latest in a series of military aid packages for Ukraine; League minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has delayed signing it, Euronews reported.
- Without Giorgetti's signature, neither the military nor civilian aid in the package can be sent.
- Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has voiced reservations about military aid to Kyiv, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has insisted support continue "for as long as necessary".
- The package reportedly includes civilian aid such as generators and weapons for air defence, potentially including Aster missiles.
- The dispute comes as trilateral Russia-Ukraine-US talks continued in Abu Dhabi, with Zelensky calling the first day "constructive and quite substantive", Kyiv Post reported.
Why it matters for Europe
Italy has sent a series of military aid packages to Ukraine since 2022 under a framework due to expire at the end of this year, making the political fight over signing the latest one a test of whether that support continues into next year. A delay or failure to sign would mark a rare case of Italy's aid pipeline to Kyiv stalling over a domestic coalition dispute rather than procedure.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- n-tv: Verhandlungen in Abu Dhabi: Niemand glaubt im Ernst an ein rasches Kriegsende
- Kyiv Post: Zelensky Calls First Day of Abu Dhabi Talks ‘Constructive,’ Names Prisoner Release as Priority
- Euronews: Italian government debates aid to Kyiv while Abu Dhabi holds talks on Ukraine's future
- Der Spiegel: Ukraine – Friedensgespräche in Abu Dhabi: Bisher glaubt nur Donald Trump an den großen Deal zwischen Russland, Ukraine und Europa
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Questions and answers
- Why is Italy's aid package to Ukraine delayed?
- League Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has not yet signed the classified decree, as required, after returning from a meeting in Brussels, Euronews reported.
- What does the package include?
- Reportedly civilian aid such as generators and weapons for air defence, potentially including Aster missiles for Ukraine's Samp-T system.
- Is the Italian government at risk of collapse over this?
- Euronews reported that many in the coalition expect Giorgetti to sign in the end, partly because a crisis could threaten the government's budget session.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.