Politics
The statements •
Crosetto: “Next military aid package for Kyiv to be discussed at Copasir next week.” With all due respect to Salvini
The Defence Minister responds in the Senate to a question from Azione leader Carlo Calenda during Question Time: “Cutting off aid would play into Moscow’s hands. And if Moscow were to perceive that Ukraine is unable to resist, the war would intensify. The government’s commitment continues.” Sensi captures the empty seats of the ruling party
“Italy’s withdrawal of military support for Ukraine would not help to stop the war, but would risk encouraging the continuation of the Russian offensive.” Defence Minister Guido Crosetto made this statement in the Senate, responding to an urgent question from Azione leader Carlo Calenda, who asked him to account for the latest military aid package to Kyiv, particularly in light of the promises made by Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Lega, following his re-election at the extraordinary Federal Congress. "The new aid package will be discussed at the COPASIR next week," the minister said at Palazzo Madama, reaffirming the government’s stance of supporting the country invaded by Moscow.
“Our desire to achieve peace is made easier by the possibility that Ukraine will hold out, because the day Russia realises that Ukraine is unable to hold out, the war would escalate,” explained Crosetto. “Those who think that Italy’s withdrawal would somehow bring the war to an end,” he added, “fail to understand that all the other nations would continue to honour their commitments and continue to provide aid, and that the prospect of conquering Ukraine would strengthen Russia’s resolve to continue the war.”
Furthermore, the Defence Minister has announced that he will propose renewing the mechanism by which Italy, at a regulatory level, sends aid to Ukraine. That is, the decree: “I will also propose the possibility of extending the mechanism of the decree into next year.” A mechanism “which was not chosen by the Meloni government”, Crosetto clarified: “There are people who seem to have forgotten this: the mechanism was chosen and voted for by the Draghi government and practically all the parties in the current opposition and ruling coalition. Positions have evolved over time, but if it was right then, it becomes difficult to explain why it is wrong now.” For this reason: “As far as I am concerned, the government will maintain the line it has followed over the past four years.” With all due respect to Salvini, in short.
In addition to Salvini’s stance, Calenda had criticised the delays that had occurred in drawing up the new aid package. Crosetto also responded regarding the timing: “The time taken to draw up this package depends on the profound change in the situation on the ground in Ukraine,” he said. “Until recently, the Ukrainian defence forces were able to repel 90 per cent of attacks, whereas now they repel only 10 per cent due to the exponential advancement of Russian technology and the speed of the new Shahed drones. Consequently, the nature of the request for aid has changed.”
The minister went on to explain: “As the war has evolved and the nature of the threats has become more specific, requests have been made for equipment that is not always available. The scale of the aid packages has been reduced precisely because the items that were actually needed were difficult to source and dispatch. Nevertheless, we have responded with this thirteenth aid package, upholding the commitment made in Parliament and as a government.”
While the leader of Azione and the minister were debating, Filippo Sensi, a senator from the Democratic Party, was taking photos. On Twitter, he posted an image showing the Senate’s majority benches completely empty, with the exception of two senators who were seated. The quorum was evidently reached thanks to the opposition MPs. “I am ashamed of them,” he wrote in the caption.