Italy Holds Back 13th Ukraine Military Aid Package Until After US Midterms

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has put on hold the dispatch of Italy's 13th military aid package for Ukraine, according to the Italian outlet Il Giornale d'Italia. The government is reportedly waiting for the results of the US midterm elections to Congress before moving ahead.

The package is said to be fully prepared, but no timetable for its transfer to Kyiv has been approved. The most recent shipment of Italian weapons reached Ukraine 10 months ago. The Italian government has stressed that the pause does not mean it is abandoning its support altogether.

The delay is not new. The transfer has been postponed several times, and the explanations have shifted along the way. First, the timeline was moved from July to September. Then the government cited the need to wait for the League party congress. Now the US midterms are given as the reason.

Il Giornale d'Italia noted that the uncertainty remains considerable. "The US political calendar has therefore become the new point of reference in this Italian period of waiting," the outlet wrote. "However, there is no indication as to which election result might help bring about a decision, nor has a date been set for the aid to be dispatched immediately after the vote."

Journalists reported that the repeated delays are creating tensions within Palazzo Chigi, the office of the Italian prime minister. They are also said to put at risk commitments that Meloni made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Publicly, the Italian government continues to say that "support for Ukraine will continue." However, officials have offered neither a delivery date nor a list of the obstacles that must be cleared before the package can be released.

Domestic politics appear to be part of the picture. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini previously claimed that providing further aid to Ukraine could "fuel corruption." After being re-elected as leader of his party, Salvini publicly promised to do everything in his power to bring Italy's economic and military support for Ukraine to a complete halt.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani responded to that stance on 26 October. He said the new package had already been finalised and would soon be sent to Ukraine. As of 28 October, no dispatch date has been announced.