Italy seeks to water down NATO’s commitment to Ukraine — report
REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
Italy has asked that a reference to providing military aid
to Ukraine through 2027 be removed from the final communique of the upcoming NATO
summit in Ankara, Bloomberg reported
on June 3, citing people familiar with the matter.
“Rome has argued that the time reference would prejudge the possibility of a negotiated settlement to the war happening earlier, they said,” Bloomberg wrote.
A draft of the statement says allies will provide EUR70 billion ($80 billion) in 2026 and 2027. Bloomberg said that figure does not represent new commitments but instead reflects NATO’s prior annual pledge of EUR40 billion plus EUR30 billion a year from an EU loan program. The mention of a specific funding timeline would be a change from last year’s statement, which made no reference to financial aid for Ukraine.
“Italy has pushed to cut the 2027 reference, the people said, citing increased diplomacy with Moscow as an example of how such a text would jar with the possibility of negotiations,” the report said.
“However, people familiar with the Italian government’s thinking said Rome would likely not break consensus over the matter, even if Poland succeeds in its push to reopen the talks [with Russia]. They stressed aid to Ukraine wasn’t in doubt.”
The NATO summit is scheduled for July 7-8, in Ankara, Turkey.
Allies are expected to pledge billions for new arms
contracts, including further military support for Ukraine. But Slovak Prime
Minister Robert Fico has opposed the plans. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk
has also said Warsaw will refrain from making new commitments for additional
financial aid to Ukraine, given Poland’s role in securing NATO’s eastern flank.
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