The Italian government is delaying the approval of the 13th military aid package for Ukraine, which is expected to include missiles for air defense systems. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to Italian media reports, is in no hurry to make a final decision until the midterm elections to the US Congress, scheduled for November 3.

This was reported on October 27 by La Repubblica and Il Giornale d'Italia.

According to journalists, the new arms package has already been prepared, but its approval has been postponed several times. Initially, a decision was expected in July, then in September, after which the discussion was postponed until after the party congress of Matteo Salvini's "League".

Now, as sources in the Italian government told La Repubblica, Meloni prefers to wait for the results of the American elections in order to assess the further political course of US President Donald Trump and the prospects for Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.

The delay may disrupt the agreements reached by Italy with France and Ukraine on the delivery of additional air defense missiles by the end of October.

This primarily concerns the Aster 30 missiles, used by European SAMP/T surface-to-air missile systems. These systems are capable of intercepting aircraft, cruise missiles, and certain types of ballistic missiles. They are produced by enterprises in Italy and France.

As La Repubblica writes, Rome previously assured French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that it would approve the necessary deliveries by the end of October. However, as of October 27, no corresponding decision has been made.

To approve the new package, it is necessary to prepare an interministerial decree, signed by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti.

In addition, before finalizing the document, the government must present it to the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic — Copasir. According to Italian media reports, the committee had not yet received notification of the consideration of the new package.

One of the reasons for the delay could be disagreements within the ruling coalition. The leader of the "League" party and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini opposes further arms supplies to Ukraine, while Crosetto and Tajani insist on continuing support for Kyiv.

In particular, on October 26, Salvini again stated the need to abandon further transfers of money and weapons to Ukraine. However, his position was not publicly supported by other key government representatives.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, on the contrary, told ANSA that the next military aid package is already ready and will be sent to Ukraine as soon as possible.

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also confirmed the unchanged Italian policy of supporting Ukraine. In an interview with the BBC published on October 18, he allowed for the approval of a new package by the end of 2026.

According to La Repubblica, the last new Italian military aid package for Ukraine dates back to December 2025. Thus, the approval of the next package has been delayed for almost ten months.

Meanwhile, the absence of a new approved package does not mean a complete halt of Italian military supplies. As noted by the analytical outlet Pagella Politica, deliveries of weapons approved by previous government decisions may have continued in 2026.

It is difficult to establish the exact volumes of such assistance because Italy keeps the composition of military packages classified. Access to the relevant documents is limited to authorized state bodies and members of the parliamentary security committee.

In August, Crosetto also explained that the government had not stopped supporting Ukraine, but the new package must go through the approval procedure provided for by law. According to him, the preparation of supplies depends on the availability of weapons and the ability to meet specific requests from the Ukrainian side.

There is still no official confirmation that Meloni has decided to suspend the approval of aid specifically until the American elections. No date has been announced for when the 13th package might be finally approved.