Italy's 13th aid package for Ukraine sits in limbo as US vote nears

Ten months. That is the length of the gap between the last delivery of Italian weapons to Ukraine and the current status of the 13th military aid package. The shipment is fully prepared, yet the Italian government has frozen its dispatch. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is holding the transfer until the results of the US midterm elections to Congress are known.

The pause is the latest in a series of delays. Officials first shifted the timeline from July to September. They then cited the need to wait for the League party congress. Now, the US political calendar has become the primary factor in the decision-making process at Palazzo Chigi, the Italian prime minister's office. The Italian government stressed that this pause does not mean it is abandoning aid altogether, but the schedule for the transfer to Kyiv has not yet been approved.

Journalists report that the prolonged delays are creating internal tensions within the government. The situation puts at risk commitments Meloni made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron. While the Italian government continues to state publicly that support for Ukraine will continue, officials have provided neither a specific delivery date nor a detailed list of obstacles that must be overcome to unblock the package.

The delay complicates the political landscape within the ruling coalition. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has previously argued that providing further aid to Ukraine could fuel corruption. After being re-elected as party leader, Salvini publicly promised to do everything in his power to bring Italy's economic and military support for Ukraine to a complete halt.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani responded to the growing uncertainty on 26 October. He stated that the new package had already been finalised and would soon be sent to Ukraine. However, no indication has been given as to which election result might help bring about a decision. There is also no set date for the aid to be dispatched immediately after the vote.

The 13th package remains the subject of a standoff between domestic political calculations and international obligations. The Italian government is waiting for the US vote to conclude before moving the equipment. Until then, the shipment stays in a state of readiness without a confirmed departure time.