Ukraine aid splits Italian parties ahead of elections - Politico
Further military aid to Ukraine is becoming one of the main points of contention among Italian political forces ahead of parliamentary elections that could take place as early as spring 2027.
Former Prime Minister and leader of the left-wing "5 Star Movement" Giuseppe Conte stated that his party does not plan to support new arms supplies to Kyiv. According to him, aid was necessary at the beginning of the full-scale war due to Russia's significant advantage, but now Ukraine ostensibly has sufficiently equipped armed forces.
Conte proposed determining the center-left coalition's position on Ukraine through primaries. He believes that Italy should push for a transition to negotiations involving Kyiv and Moscow.
The initiative caused a conflict with the Democratic Party — the largest political force of the Italian center-left. Its leader Elly Schlein rejected the possibility of defining the coalition's foreign policy program by voting in primaries.
Former Defense Minister and one of the leaders of the Democratic Party Lorenzo Guerini called support for Ukraine a matter that cannot be subject to bargaining. He confirmed that the party is in favor of continuing arms supplies to Kyiv.
There is also no unified position on Ukraine within the ruling right-wing coalition. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni remains a consistent supporter of Kyiv, but her partners from the "League" are reluctant to support military aid and oppose a significant increase in the defense budget.
If the current coalition loses its majority, Meloni may try to bring in the "National Future" party of former general Roberto Vannacci. This political force also opposes arms supplies to Ukraine.
Meloni's position notably differs from the sentiments of a large part of Italian society. According to an ISPI–Ipsos Doxa poll published on June 27, 2026, 34% of Italians believe that the EU and the US should convince Ukraine to agree to peace with Russia even at the cost of territorial concessions. Another 15% support a complete halt of aid to Kyiv. Meanwhile, 23% are in favor of continuing support for Ukraine until the return of lost territories — up from 15% in December 2025.
