Italy's defence minister blasts Trump over Ukraine aid cuts

Italy’s defence minister Guido Crosetto has called US President Donald Trump’s alleged move to restrict satellite and intelligence support to Ukraine a 'complete mistake' and 'major mistake' ^[1]. In a BBC interview, Crosetto warned that depriving Ukraine of critical resources could signal weakness, encouraging Vladimir Putin to continue his full-scale invasion. He stressed that peace would only come when Putin believes he cannot advance further, not when he sees Western hesitation.

Crosetto, a co-founder of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party, said any US slowdown in providing early-warning alerts or internet access—denied by US officials—would be counterproductive ^[1]. Despite Meloni’s previous close ties to Trump, dubbed the 'Trump whisperer', she recently criticised his reported deal to buy Russian diesel, calling it a 'very risky choice' that could 'grant Russia legitimacy'.

While Italy has consistently provided military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since 2022, public support is eroding. A September poll by Ixè found only 18% of Italians support continuing arms deliveries, driven by rising energy prices and a long-standing pacifist tradition ^[1]. Protests in Rome and southern Italy have seen students demand more classroom funding and truckers block roads over fuel costs.

Crosetto attributed declining support to a Kremlin-backed disinformation campaign targeting political figures and narratives to weaken anti-Russian sentiment ^[1]. He dismissed reports of planned drone attacks on Italy, France, and Spain from Mediterranean container ships as unconfirmed, though he confirmed hundreds of daily cyber-attacks linked to Russia are now routine. He urged Europe to fight back, saying 'you can't win a war if you don't fight back'.

Italy has not faced major sabotage, but a fire at an arms depot outside Rome was ruled accidental, not arson ^[1]. With parliamentary approval for further aid expected by 2027, Crosetto warned that political shifts—such as the rising far-right Futuro Nazionale party led by former general Roberto Vannacci, who opposes aid to Ukraine—could complicate future decisions.