Italy to Opt Out of Trump’s Ukraine Arms Plan
Italy has decided not to join former President Donald Trump’s proposal to supply American arms to Ukraine, citing budget limitations, according to an article by La Stampa. The Italian newspaper highlights that Italy’s financial capacity for such operations is ‘practically non-existent’, unlike Germany’s more substantial allocation. This decision reflects Italy’s limited capacity to contribute financially to the initiative, with the only planned US arms purchase being F35 fighter jets scheduled for 2030.
On Monday, Trump authorized new weapons deliveries to Ukraine, given that European NATO members provide funding, calling it a ‘very big deal.’ Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has already agreed to purchase several Patriot surface-to-air missile systems for Ukraine. However, La Stampa reports that Rome will be opting out of the scheme not only because of the technological configurations of the weapon systems already handed over to Kiev, but mainly due to Italy’s limited financial capacity.
The only arms purchase from the US currently planned by Italy is the delivery of a batch of F35 fighter jets scheduled for the 2030s, according to the sources. This decision comes as France and the Czech Republic have also expressed reluctance to fund the initiative, with France focusing on its own defense industry and the Czech Republic choosing to focus on other ways to help Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed Trump’s pledge to send more weapons to Ukraine but urged Washington to ‘share the burden’ in terms of financing the deliveries. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has criticized the Western Europe’s ’emotional state bordering on inadequacy’ over the Ukraine conflict, suggesting that European NATO members are ready to ‘spend countless amounts of money on purchasing weapons in order to further provoke the continuation of the war.’