Italy postpones a decree to extend military aid to Ukraine, as coalition divisions and a Ukrainian corruption scandal complicate support.
ROME: Italy’s government will postpone approving a decree to extend military supplies to Ukraine into next year, sources said.
The delay highlights tensions within Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition over continued support for Kyiv.
Meloni has pledged unwavering support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, now nearing its fourth year.
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However, her deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, has publicly questioned the rationale for ongoing aid.
The decree was removed from a Wednesday cabinet meeting agenda because it was already too full, according to unnamed sources.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Italy has sent 12 military aid packages to Ukraine.
This assistance has included the SAMP/T air defence system, authorised under a special decree system.
The current authorisation regime allows the government to send aid without seeking parliamentary approval for each delivery.
The existing decree is set to expire at the end of this year.
Once approved by the cabinet, a new decree would take immediate effect but require parliamentary ratification within 60 days.
In criticising aid, Salvini has cited a corruption scandal affecting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration.
The United States continues to advocate for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. – Reuters
