Italy Says Joining NATO’s Ukraine Weapons Program Is ‘Premature’ Amid Peace Talks

December 9 ------ Italy’s foreign minister said that it would be “premature” to take part in a NATO program to buy US weapons for Ukraine in light of ongoing diplomatic efforts. “If we reach an agreement and fighting ceases, weapons won’t be needed anymore,” Antonio Tajani told reporters in Brussels, according to Bloomberg. “Other things, such as security guarantees, will be needed.”

His comments suggested Giorgia Meloni’s government could be recalibrating its Ukraine strategy amid depleted funds and internal strains within the coalition, Bloomberg reported. Italy maintains that it remains committed to supporting Kyiv, but it has become the first European nation to openly argue that additional arms deliveries should pause while ceasefire discussions are active.

The stance marks a notable reversal from October, when Rome had expressed openness to joining NATO’s Procurement Assistance for Ukraine (PURL) program, which is designed to coordinate allied purchases of US weaponry for Ukrainian forces. Although Italy had previously emphasized that Kyiv had other channels for receiving military aid, Bloomberg reported at the time that Rome feared being sidelined politically in Europe if it stayed outside the effort.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that two-thirds of the alliance’s members have already signed onto the PURL mechanism. He voiced confidence that Ukraine’s partners will have amassed $5 billion in commitments by the year’s end for the purchase of US-manufactured arms.

Meloni, however, has stated she will not endorse the scheme “for now.” Despite her consistent backing of Ukraine – even with Italy’s constrained defense budget – domestic opposition has grown louder. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, a populist figure long sympathetic to Moscow, remarked this week that he “dreams” of repairing ties with Russia.

Salvini, who once sported a T-shirt featuring Vladimir Putin’s face and claimed he would like the Russian leader as Italy’s prime minister “tomorrow,” was previously reprimanded by France after telling President Emmanuel Macron to “get your helmet, your flak jacket, your rifle, and go to Ukraine” in response to his appeal for a European security force.

Source: kyivpost.com