Senate and Chamber underscored commitment to supporting Kyiv against Russian aggression. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto highlighted the necessity of continued assistance while expressing hope that Donald Trump’s U.S. presidency could spur a diplomatic resolution
Aid extension approved. Italy’s Senate and Chamber of Deputies voted on Tuesday and Wednesday to extend the government’s authority to provide aid—including military support—to Ukraine until 2025 ahead of Russia’s ongoing aggression.
- Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, addressing the Senate on Tuesday, stressed the existential stakes for Ukraine, stating, without international support, “Ukraine would no longer exist today—there would be no one left alive.”
- Last week, Crosetto visited Kyiv, where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky to reaffirm Italy’s steadfast backing.
Trump’s presidency as hope. Crosetto pointed to Donald Trump’s inauguration as U.S. president on Monday as a potential inflexion point.
- “I hope that any global change—most recently the new U.S. president—might trigger a different trajectory, perhaps altering the course of this devastating war that none of us desires,” he said.
- The minister also hoped that Italy’s latest military aid package—the tenth since the war began—might be its last as it “would mean the war is over,” he remarked.
- The content of the package, as with previous ones, remains classified.
Opposition challenges rebuffed. The Five Star Movement and the Green-Left Alliance proposed motions to halt arms shipments, both of which were rejected.
- Meanwhile, the Democratic Party (PD) submitted its resolution, framing current diplomatic efforts as insufficient and urging a proactive European Union role in light of Trump’s return to the White House.
