Far-right Italian Meloni Government Extends Military Aid to Ukraine

Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy. (Photo by EPA Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The far-right Giorgia Meloni-led new Italian government has decided to continue military aid to Ukraine, following the policy direction of the previous administration.

According to major foreign media on the 1st (local time), the Italian cabinet unanimously approved a bill to extend military support, including the provision of weapons to Ukraine, until next year.

The bill, which was set to expire on the 31st of this month, has been extended for one more year until December 31 of next year. The bill includes provisions to support the Ukrainian government with weapons and other military supplies and equipment.

Since Prime Minister Meloni has sought to differentiate her administration from the previous government on key policies ranging from immigration issues to COVID-19 vaccine regulations, some speculated that there might be a shift in stance regarding Ukraine and policies toward Russia.

There were concerns that Italy might take a passive stance on Western sanctions against Russia, led by the United States, and on military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, potentially causing divisions within the European Union (EU).

Contrary to these concerns, in her first national address, Prime Minister Meloni emphasized that Italy is a partner of the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and by visiting Brussels as her first overseas trip, she indicated that Italy will continue to support the EU framework.

Since the outbreak of the war in February, military aid to Ukraine has been a political issue within Italy. The resignation of Meloni’s predecessor, former Prime Minister Mario Draghi, was decisively influenced by fractures within the coalition government over military aid to Ukraine.

The Italian daily 'La Repubblica' reported, "The government will provide Ukraine with the outdated Aspide air defense system," adding that "it is expected to be shipped by the end of this month or early next year."