Guido Crosetto, the Defense Minister, made the announcement. With the first five steps, Italian government has already handed Kiev with 5 defense aid packages totaling almost 1 billion euros.
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| Guido Crosetto, the Minister of Defence of Italy |
"The sixth decree" to supply Ukraine with additional weaponry "is being drafted, there will be, I assume it will be shared by virtually the whole parliament, it will allow Ukraine the option to protect itself against air strikes. It refers to missiles that are capable of shooting down other missiles. They are systems with this objective ". Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated this on Rai 3's 'Che tempo che fa' on Sunday evening. Italy did not hesitate to grant Zelensky's request. The Meloni government is resolved to approve the supply of Aspide, surface-to-air missiles helpful for city defense, and Samp-T anti-missile shields created in collaboration with France. Instead, even if it grants the first yes, Germany remains under pressure.
"What is predicted is an escalation in land confrontations" and the employment of "all the land vehicles that it has not yet utilized, as well as an attempt to break through in Ukraine," Crosetto warned. "Faced with this, the Ukrainian stance has also shifted, which until a few weeks ago sought for protection against missile assaults" and "now Ukraine is calling for support for land invasions".
Italy has already supplied Ukraine with weapons worth 1 billion euros
In another interview this morning with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, an official assessment, if approximate, of the economic worth of Italy's first five military aid packages to Ukraine was provided for the first time: "Italy has previously granted Ukraine with five defense aid packages totaling almost one billion euros. A sixth package, which includes air defense equipment, is in the works. Minister Kuleba thanked me for the assistance, which I underlined will continue. We are finishing the transmission of the Samp-T in coordination with France, and in any event, there are additional steps on which we are working discreetly ".
In any case, the foreign ministry's owner assures us, "parliament will always be informed of every initiative and of any future shipment of military material. I remind you that the Ukrainian decree extended the possibility of supplies to 2023. We will respect the commitment made", concludes Tajani.
Concerning Germany's reservations, "I respect other nations, and each country is sovereign, adds Crosetto. The current German majority was elected with the intention of cutting defense spending; instead, they have increased defense spending by the most in 70 years. I understand Scholz's challenges; I find outside pressure ludicrous; and I am confident that, in the end, he will do what he needs to do ". Berlin's stance has softened during the previous several hours. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has stated that he anticipates a decision on whether or not to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, as Kiev has repeatedly demanded.
According to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to French television LCI, Germany would not oppose to the likely transport of Leopard 2 tanks from Poland to Ukraine. Germany, the tank maker, must sanction the movement of the vehicles from the acquiring country - in this case, Poland - to Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia for over a year. "We were not asked the question. We would not get in the way if requested ", the minister's statements. So Germany would not object to sending the tanks?
"You got it right," Baerbock said. "We have guidelines governing so-called end-use restrictions. Weapons designed for conflict may only be manufactured, transported, and marketed with the approval of the federal government ", says the minister. Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes the ultimate decision. The topic was central to the recent Ramstein meeting.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated yesterday: "We will not stand by and let Ukraine bleed to death. With or without Germany, Kiev and Europe will win this war ". Many Western states are concerned by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's cautious posture, and the tones during the NATO meeting in Ramstein were purportedly extremely hot, according to well-informed sources. The US did not appreciate the German option to put conditions on Washington: we will provide the Leopards if you send the Abrams M1s, Scholz said, according to whom the prospective transfer of Leopards to Ukraine in the near future "will take place in close collaboration with partners and allies".
French tanks in Kiev
France, for its part, has not ruled out sending "Leclerc" heavy tanks to Ukraine to assist it in its fight against Russia. In a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed this. Macron cites three requirements for sending his Leclercs: that the supply does not escalate the war (which is also one of the grounds for Germany's hesitation), that the Ukrainian forces be educated, and that the French defensive capabilities are not jeopardized.
Indeed, many observers believe that one of the true reasons for the "ballet" on whether tanks should be shot or not at Zelensky is a lack of available weaponry on the old continent: Germany possesses less than 300 Leopard 2s, of which only 130 would be operable. France has 200 Leclercs available and might provide a maximum of twenty to Kiev. Meanwhile, the battle in Ukraine has entered its 334th day.
Source: TODAY