A new arms package for Ukraine is on its way. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto unveiled the contents of Italy’s new military aid shipment in front of Parliament’s Intelligence Committee, chaired by the Democratic Party’s Lorenzo Guerini. The equipment is intended to aid Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion.
- As is customary, its contents will remain shrouded in secrecy for national and Ukraine’s security reasons.
- The package is now pending the executive’s final approval stamp before heading towards Kyiv.
The details. This would be the seventh arms package overall and the second to be approved by Giorgia Meloni’s government, which is acting upon the Parliament-supported commitment to deliver the necessary means for Kyiv’s defence until the end of 2023. Still, the executive must inform the Intel Committee of the shipment’s contents.
- According to Repubblica, the package renews the allocations of arms, ammunition and anti-air defence systems that Rome already supplied with the last package.
Timely support… Its contents should be in line with the decisions taken at the last meeting at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the Ramstein base in Germany, where under the direction of NATO, the United States promised new support, both to enable Kyiv to resist the ongoing air attacks, and to support the imminent counter-offensive of the Ukrainian army.
- The US, along with other Western nations, intends to send a fleet of F-16 fighter jets – which Italy can provide training and equipment for.
- Also, the United Kingdom vowed to supply long-range “Storm Shadow” missiles, extending the reach of Ukraine’s Armed Forces from the HIMARS’ 80 kilometres to 250 km.
… and steadfast commitment. The Italian government’s decision comes in the wake of G-7 and other world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meeting in Hiroshima. The Group of Seven agreed to continue supporting his nation’s struggle, and PM Giorgia Meloni had a bilateral meeting on the sidelines.
- Those and other meetings – including the Ukrainian leader’s recent visit to Rome – evidently highlighted Kyiv’s requests for further military support from the Italian government and other international partners.
