Lead
Italian opposition figures have intensified their criticism of the government's military support for Ukraine, with some predicting that public opposition will grow. Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement and a former prime minister, said his party would continue to vote against arms supplies to Kiev, while a European Parliament member from the same party accused the government of secretly preparing a new weapons package. A recent poll suggests that a majority of Italians oppose such deliveries.
Coverage Comparison
Reports from TASS detail the statements of two prominent Italian opposition politicians and the actions of a smaller party, all of whom challenge the government's policy of arming Ukraine. The reports quote directly from the politicians, allowing them to make their case in their own words. While the reports do not include responses from the Italian government or ruling coalition, they do note that previous resolutions opposed to arms deliveries have been rejected by parliament.
Key Claims
Giuseppe Conte, speaking through the Italian newspaper La Stampa, said his party would "continue to abstain from voting in favor of further [arms] supplies to Ukraine." Instead, the Five Star Movement would seek a breakthrough in negotiations between the conflicting parties. According to Politico, Conte's statement has caused deep divisions among Italy's left-wing parties ahead of the 2027 parliamentary election. The same report indicated that Conte's party and the Democratic Party are polling level with the center-right bloc led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and that public support for continued assistance to Ukraine remains low.
Danilo Della Valle, a European Parliament member with the Five Star Movement, wrote on Instagram that the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is "secretly working" on a new military assistance package, expected to be adopted in September and to include air defense systems. He argued that "this arms race in no way can bring peace closer: it is only escalating the conflict, which is becoming more and more dangerous with each passing day." Della Valle added that "investing billions into the protraction of the war will not make the world safer," but will only move it further from peace.
Luciano Sandona, a member of the National Future party and former advisor to the Veneto regional council, told TASS that a draft resolution calling for an end to arms deliveries, submitted to the lower house by his party, reflects public opinion. He cited a poll showing that 60% of Italians oppose weapons supplies to Ukraine, and said the share is growing. "Supporting weapons supplies to Ukraine was a mistake," Sandona said. "It has ultimately backfired on Italians, as the country now lacks funding for crucial sectors such as healthcare, education and public security." He also noted that Italy is giving up its traditional role as a neutral mediator, and that EU sanctions on Russia have harmed Italians, pointing to fuel prices that have exceeded two euros per liter.
The National Future party was founded by Roberto Vannacci, a former Lega member who previously served as Italy's military attache in Russia. Vannacci left Lega over disagreements regarding the Ukraine issue. The lower house rejected the National Future party's draft resolution, and earlier proposals by the Five Star Movement also failed to win support. The Lega party, part of the ruling coalition, has called for reviewing the conditions for Italy's military assistance to Ukraine.
The Italian cabinet decided in December 2025 to extend assistance, including military, to Ukraine until late 2026, and the upper house gave final approval in February. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that Western weapons supplies to Kiev and assistance in training Ukrainian troops cannot change the situation on the battlefield and only prolong the conflict.