Italy will not immediately participate in the NATO weapons program aimed at supplying US-made arms to Ukraine, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani indicated, citing ongoing peace negotiations as the reason for this cautious approach, APA reports, citing almayadeen.net.
“It would be premature” for Italy to engage in the NATO program to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, Tajani told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday. “If we reach an agreement and the fighting stops, weapons will no longer be needed. Other things will be needed, such as security guarantees,” he added. Tajani, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, made the statement during a meeting of NATO officials.
The program, known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), was created following the suspension of direct US arms shipments to Ukraine over the summer. It allows NATO member states to collectively purchase American weapons for Ukraine through a joint procurement system.
As Bloomberg reported, Tajani’s remarks are the clearest indication yet that the Italian government under Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is recalibrating its approach to Ukraine. Budget constraints and internal tensions within the ruling coalition are believed to be contributing factors. While Rome maintains that it will continue to support Kiev, it is now the first European capital to openly suggest that weapons deliveries should be reconsidered during ceasefire negotiations.
Although Italy signaled its intention in October to join the PURL initiative, its recent shift marks a notable divergence from the positions of several key NATO allies.
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