Italy debates the 13th aid package for Ukraine: the economy minister's signature is delayed

Package presented but not signed

On November 10, Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto presented the thirteenth aid package for Ukraine to the parliamentary security committee Copasir, but Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti of the League party has not yet signed the document, as the procedure requires. This is reported by euronews. Without Giorgetti's signature, the decree cannot be published, and the aid — both military and civilian — cannot be sent to Kyiv.

Coalition disagreements

Within the ruling majority, efforts are being made to smooth over the conflict: Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Crosetto himself attribute the delay to the minister's absence — on Monday Giorgetti was in Brussels at an Ecofin meeting. Tajani clarified that the document is classified, so it can only be signed in person, not electronically. In an interview with Repubblica , Crosetto expressed confidence that Giorgetti will sign the package immediately after returning from Brussels.

Positions within the majority

The tension around the package is linked to the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, who has repeatedly voiced reservations about military aid to Kyiv. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, together with the Forza Italia party, maintains the position of supporting Kyiv 'for as long as necessary.' After the League congress, which re-elected Salvini as leader, the pressure intensified: party senator Claudio Borghi called the package a 'non-existent decree' on X, since an act requiring the joint approval of several ministers does not exist until their signatures.

What the package includes and what is at stake

According to euronews, the classified decree, in addition to civilian aid (for example, generators), is expected to include air defense assets: since the Franco-Italian Samp-T battery has already been supplied previously, the delivery of Aster missiles for this system is possible. The outlet also notes the practical context: the 'framework' decree-law introduced by the Draghi government in 2022 and already extended four times expires at the end of the year. Under this scheme, twelve packages of military aid have been sent over four years; the last one at the end of 2025, and at the end of December last year the government adopted a new framework decree allowing supplies to Ukraine throughout 2026. Many within the majority are convinced that Giorgetti will ultimately sign the document: otherwise, according to euronews, the government risks a crisis in the middle of the budget session, which could also derail the budget plan.

European coordination amid the talks

Crosetto also stressed the need for a unified European position on Ukraine — as Meloni demands — and reiterated that 'excluding the physical presence of European troops in Ukraine has always been our caveat.' Sources at Palazzo Chigi repeated this thesis after the start of the talks in Abu Dhabi: 'Europe must speak with one voice and acquire a clear and common mandate.' Earlier, on November 5, Meloni had already criticized the EU's fragmented approach to the Ukraine talks, euronews notes.