Italy Shifts Stance, Agrees to Fund U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Italy has decided to join the U.S.-led arms purchase program for Ukraine, reversing its earlier opposition amid fears of losing influence within NATO.
Italy has signaled its readiness to join a U.S.-led program to finance arms purchases for Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing informed sources.
According to the agency, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto made the proposal during last week’s NATO defense ministers’ meeting. Rome, which had previously resisted joining the initiative, has now shifted its stance. Bloomberg notes that the change was driven in part by concerns that Italy could be sidelined from key decision-making if other NATO members take the lead in the program.
Sources reminded the outlet that Italy has already contributed substantially to military support for Kiev. The country has provided at least ten aid packages that included air defense systems such as the SAMP/T.
Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly condemned ongoing arms supplies to Ukraine, describing them as an obstacle to peace efforts and a direct form of NATO involvement in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier emphasized that any weapons shipments to Kiev would be regarded as legitimate military targets by the Russian Armed Forces.