There is a clash over the thirteenth package for Ukraine. The Minister of Economy has not yet signed the measure. The League expresses irritation and calls for a change of line on military support for Kiev. Crosetto will present the package in the next few hours at Copasir. Possible shipments also include air defense components and Aster missiles.
There is mystery in the government on the thirteenth aid package for Ukraine which will be presented in the next few hours to Copasir by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. The Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti has not yet signed the new measure, as is required by the procedures. In the majority there are those who try to minimize it like Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani: "No mystery, no storm, no clash. Only the physical impossibility of signing", he explained, specifying that the document, being classified, must be signed in person and cannot be signed electronically. Then he added that "it has already been signed by Crosetto and me, it has been stamped by the Mef, Minister Giorgetti, who is in favor of the measure, was in Brussels yesterday and could not sign in person, I spoke with him this morning, as soon as he arrives in Rome he will sign the document". Defense Minister Crosetto also clarified: "He didn't sign the decree because it wasn't there", recalling that the parliamentary authorization for aid expires on 31 December: "What happens next will be decided by Parliament and the government". It will therefore be the institutions that will decide how to continue with the support mechanism for Ukraine. In fact, Giorgetti had been busy with Ecofin on Monday, but Matteo Salvini had repeatedly made clear his doubts about military aid to Kiev. A line that became more stringent after the congress, from which he also asked for "respect" from the allies. "After four years of war" between Russia and Ukraine we need to change pace, find the way to a just peace: essentially, no more weapons and opening other channels, is the position that the League is pursuing, currently alone in the majority, and on which it is awaiting answers from its allies and from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has always remained firm (together with FI), on the need to continue supporting Kiev "for as long as necessary" (RUSSIA-UKRAINIAN WAR, FOLLOW THE UPDATES LIVE).
A delicate issue therefore opens up in the majority on this issue which could lead to a clash - starting from the transition to Copasir - with implications yet to be deciphered. Because without Giorgetti's signature the decree cannot be published and the aid, not only the military one but also the civil one, will not be able to go. But there are those who are convinced that in the end the minister will sign, also because otherwise the experience of the centre-right government would come dangerously close to the end of the line. A scenario, the latter, which most define as "surreal", also because we are in the middle of the budget session and a crisis at this moment would risk overwhelming the budget too. Furthermore, the legislative decree that acts as a "framework" for this mechanism is also expiring at the end of the year, which then provides for the ministerial decree with the concert of Defense, Farnesina and Mef. A scheme, Crosetto had recalled, not introduced by the Meloni government but chosen and voted for by the Draghi government and "practically all the parties of the current minority and majority". Four renewals from 2022, with only a few small adjustments.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also spoke on the Italian and European strategy for Ukraine in an interview with Repubblica. The head of the Defense defended the need to continue supporting Kiev, recalling the risks that a possible retreat would also entail for Europe. "If an apartment that's four houses away from mine catches fire, I can also think that it's not my problem. But if I don't notice the wind changing, suddenly it could be my house that's burning," he said. Crosetto also recalled the need for Europe to maintain a common position. "E3 is a format that has existed for years. After that the point is another: Meloni was very clear in asking for Europe to speak with one voice. And her position was supported by Kallas and Costa. Our doubts are those of Germany. Excluding a physical presence of European troops in Ukraine has always been one of our caveats". The minister then made a comparison between the Italian and German contributions to supporting Kiev: "If, however, we see it from the taxpayers' point of view, then it is clear that the situation changes: Berlin sends many billions, only last year it allocated more money to Kiev than we did in two years of investments. We have been serious and correct, with generators, humanitarian aid and military aid packages, but none of us think we are top of the class in this field."
For the next package, classified like all the others, in addition to the generators it is possible to send components useful for air defense - this is the main request coming from Ukraine, under continuous Russian bombing - given that the Italian-French Samp-T battery has already been supplied in the past. There could therefore be a dispatch of Aster missiles that arm the system.
Last week Crosetto also specified that over time the threats have become limited and Kiev is asking for "things that are not available. The intensity of the packages has therefore been reduced precisely because, as time passed and aid was sent, the things that were really needed were no longer there and were difficult to send".
But the commitment remains firm: "We will respect the pacts we have made with our European NATO allies, with the Ukrainian group and with Ukraine", the minister added, explaining that this package was prepared because the situation on the ground in Ukraine has changed profoundly, which until recently managed to stop 90% of attacks while now it stops 10%, because Russian technology has evolved exponentially while the speed of the new Shaed drones makes it difficult, often impossible, stop them. So Ukraine's request has also changed.
On the possible negotiation with Moscow, Crosetto reiterated that the objective must be an effective agreement, without granting advantages to Russia. "I am convinced that Russia will come to the peace table only when it understands that there is no way to conquer all of Ukraine because it is not alone. I think that no one can afford to sacrifice Kiev to Russia, least of all the United States." The minister then recalled the possible consequences for Washington of a possible alignment with Moscow: "For Trump it would be an own goal: with the midterms he paid the economic consequences of the war on Iran, if he aligned himself with Putin he would face damage, not only internal, in terms of credibility. As for us Europeans it is a crucial piece: the defeat of Ukraine would open up worse scenarios".
The minister insisted on the need to reach a solution without offering Russia further propaganda tools: "I continue to say that the only thing that matters is finding a real solution without being fooled by him and without offering other propaganda tools to Russia. It is clear that if we want an agreement, we will also have to sit at the table with Putin, in addition to Zelensky and the USA. But I also say: the right day to all sit together is the one in which there is a real desire for an agreement". In the interview Crosetto also addressed the topic of hybrid warfare and cyberattacks. "If we talk about hybrid warfare, I say: there will always be more. It is not a modern tactic, it dates back to Sun Tzu. Weaken the enemy from within: some apply this teaching in a maniacal and scientific way." On the risks of cyber attacks he added: "without wanting to scare anyone, I'll give you some examples: a lethal attack is one that cuts off the power in a hospital, risking causing victims. Or an attack on the INPS that prevents you from paying your pensions. Striking to weaken and frighten a nation".
