MNI: Rome To Downgrade Support For Kyiv In Gesture To Trump

The Italian government is set to signal softer support for Ukraine in a parliamentary motion which will avoid specific references to delivering munitions and call for any solution for the war to consider public finances, in a move which officials told MNI will indicate support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a peace deal.

The document, whose draft was seen by MNI, will be sent for parliamentary approval on Wednesday, shortly after European leaders meet in Berlin with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The document reflects Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni balancing act between Brussels and Washington, two sources said, adding that it was meant to reinforce cohesion between European allies, the U.S and Ukraine while encouraging Zelenskyy to engage in talks.

However, the resolution will not necessarily close the door for sending more military aid to Kyiv in 2026, they added, noting that that possibility would remain open depending on future developments both on the battlefield and in diplomatic talks.

The document will also state that Italy will pay “particular attention to any impact on public finances’ sustainability” of future support for Kyiv.

“We are still backing Ukraine, but now there is an opportunity that should be explored”, one of the officials said.

The expected parliamentary resolution is just another step in Meloni’s gradual weakening of support to Ukraine from being one of Kyiv’s strongest backers in Europe at the beginning of the conflict when Joe Biden was in the White House to slowly converging with Trump.

Initial Italian military aid and support helped Meloni to become politically acceptable for other European countries and to align with Biden, despite ideological differences, a diplomatic source stressed.

The Italian government is also raising concerns about the use of frozen Russian assets, pointing to legal issues and seeing it as an obstacle for peace talks.

INTERNAL DIVISIONS

Rome’s position is also influenced by internal divisions within the government, with deputy prime minister and leader of the junior coalition party League Matteo Salvini explicitly rejecting any further military aid for Ukraine and threatening to vote against government policy to the contrary.

Coalition sources stress that the coalition is far from splitting over this issue, but admit to rising tensions which need to be addressed.