An intra-governmental conflict in Italy escalated after Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, re-elected on Sunday as leader of the far-right League party, publicly promised to push for a suspension of aid to Ukraine. According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally called Salvini, expressed dissatisfaction with his ultimatum, and warned against public disputes within the ruling coalition. The incident occurred against the backdrop of preparations for Italy's general elections scheduled for 2027 and intensifying competition between right-wing factions for the electorate.
Salvini Questions Aid Transparency
Speaking to supporters after his victory in the intra-party elections, Salvini did not limit himself to a call to halt supplies: he publicly questioned whether some of the allocated funds ended up in the hands of 'corrupt officials from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's entourage.' Such rhetoric is not new for the politician—in the European Parliament, the League is part of the 'Patriots for Europe' group alongside Marine Le Pen's National Rally, and Salvini has repeatedly spoken out against military support for Kyiv. In September of this year, he also held a meeting with the Russian ambassador to Italy, after which Meloni was forced to publicly emphasize that Rome's position on Ukraine has not changed.
Government Confirms: Course Remains Unchanged
The government's response was swift. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who heads another coalition party, Forza Italia, stated that Rome's position is 'well known': Italy supports Ukraine and will continue to help it 'for as long as it takes.' According to him, the next package of military aid has already been prepared and will be sent to Kyiv in the near future. Thus, the coalition majority formed around Meloni effectively rejected Salvini's initiative, denying it institutional support.
Electoral Background and Right-Wing Competition
The dispute unfolds against a backdrop where Italy's right-wing parties are actively competing for voters ahead of the 2027 elections. The League is facing growing opposition from the far-right movement National Future, led by former general Roberto Vannacci. Under these conditions, public statements about cutting off aid to Ukraine may be seen as an attempt by Salvini to claim a harder-line niche in the election race, but for the current government, this creates direct risks of a coalition split.
Meloni and Trump’s 'Diesel Agreement'
A separate context remains Meloni's consistent pro-Ukrainian line, which, according to Italian observers, does not change course even amid disagreements with Washington. In particular, the Prime Minister criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's so-called 'diesel agreement' with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, calling it 'extremely risky' and arguing that this arrangement does not solve the main problem Trump is trying to resolve. It is precisely this stance that makes Salvini's public ultimatum within the coalition particularly sensitive: it effectively calls into question the foreign policy strategy Meloni is building on the international stage.
