Italy Pledges To Halt Arms To Ukraine As Soon As Peace Talks Begin

Recently installed conservative Italian leader Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has issued an unusual statement (breaking from other NATO countries) via her appointed defense minister Guido Crosetto, who told parliament in a briefing that Italy will only keep up defensive supplies to Ukraine until peace talks begin. 

The fresh remarks came as lawmakers voted in favor of extending military aid through 2023. Despite Meloni’s repeat pledges to keep up support to Kiev, segments of her own right-wing ruling coalition (which includes her own Brothers of Italy party, the League of Matteo Salvini and the conservative Forza Italia) have broken with the mainstream of Europe on the issue and demanded an end to the defense aid.

Powerful leading NATO countries, most especially the United States and United Kingdom, have opposed peace talks amid the largely successful Ukrainian counteroffensive. There are reports pointing to the US and especially the UK actively thwarting even the beginnings of dialogue toward achieving ceasefire.

“Italian arms supplies will stop as soon as peace talks begin, the Italian defense minister told parliament, as lawmakers endorsed a government decision to extend military aid throughout 2023,” according to reports from the briefing.

This could be an attempt to assuage this criticism and growing anger from the right on arming Ukraine, given also rising fears in Europe of escalation toward nuclear-armed showdown between NATO and Russia if things spiral out of control.

“I am aware that military aid will have to end sooner or later, and will end when we will have the peace talks that we are all hoping for,” Crosetto said to Italian senators.

“There is no doubt that we all want peace, but this goal cannot be pursued without providing assistance to a country facing unilateral aggression in violation of international law.”

So at the very least, it appears Italy’s political factions are united on the view that peaceful settlement should be actively sought. France’s Macron has been among the leading European voices expressing this view.