Italian Defence Minister: Limiting US Support for Ukraine Would Be a Major Mistake
Italy's defence minister Guido Crosetto told the BBC that restricting US satellite and intelligence support for Ukraine would be a grave error. He warned it could prolong Russia's war and admitted new arms deliveries will be harder to approve in parliament before elections.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said that any move by US President Donald Trump's administration to limit Ukraine's access to satellite systems and intelligence would be a "complete mistake, a major mistake". In an interview with the BBC in Rome, he argued it "makes absolutely no sense" and could prolong Russia's full-scale invasion rather than bring peace.
US officials have said Trump did not ask for any slowdown in the internet speeds the US provides to Ukraine, which are vital to its war effort. Trump has also denied that Washington stopped sharing early-warning alerts about incoming Russian air attacks.
Rome's criticism sharpens
Crosetto's remarks continue Italy's increasingly pointed criticism of the US. Earlier this week Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called Trump's deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to buy Russian diesel a "very risky choice" that would "grant Russia legitimacy" while it bombs Ukrainian cities. Trump blamed Kyiv's attacks on Russian refineries for rising fuel prices.
"Peace will come when Putin is convinced there is a stalemate, that he cannot advance any further," Crosetto said. If Putin sees weakness on the Ukrainian side, he will believe he can win and continue the war, the minister warned.
Domestic pressure
Crosetto co-founded Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia party, which has led a right-wing coalition government since 2022. The government has supplied Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid from the start, though the details of deliveries are classified. The minister vowed support would continue for as long as this government is in place, but said winning parliamentary approval would be "more difficult" as elections approach. They must be held by the end of 2027.
Polls currently put a new far-right party, Futuro Nazionale, ahead of all of Meloni's coalition partners. Its leader, former general Roberto Vannacci, is sympathetic to Russia and opposes aiding Ukraine. Crosetto brushed off questions about him but called Russia's actions over four years "evil".
Prices in Italy are rising because of high energy costs. Students protested in Rome over spending on arms, and truckers in the south have blocked roads over fuel prices. A September Ixè institute poll put support for continuing arms supplies at just 18%. The minister also blamed Moscow-led disinformation and said Russia-linked cyber-attacks number in the hundreds every day.
