2023-10-05 11:35:00
Italy will continue to support Ukraine, but is aware of declining public support, says PM
Giorgia Meloni, president of the Council of Ministers, attends the 2023 Festival of Autonomous Regions and Provinces on October 3 in Turin, Italy. (Photo: Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she will continue to support Ukrainian troops, but is aware that public support is waning, while Western militaries warn that ammunition reserves to send to Kyiv are running out. .
“As for aid, we have always supported Ukraine and that is what we will continue to do, in clear accordance, on the one hand, with the requests that come and, on the other, with the need not to undermine or compromise our security,” He declared this Wednesday to Sky TG, a CNN affiliate, in a closed-door interview.
Italy has strongly supported Ukraine, providing six military support packages and more than 165 million euros ($173 million) in humanitarian aid so far.
“It is clear that war generates consequences that greatly affect our society, and if we are not good at facing them, public opinion will continue to erode,” Meloni warned.
The Italian leader listed inflation, the rise in energy prices and the increase in emigration as examples of consequences of the war that risk “generating fatigue in public opinion.”
“The real question is whether we are capable (…) of working intelligently to curb the consequences of the conflict.
Otherwise, it is clear that it will be increasingly difficult to manage it with the diverse public opinions of citizens who suffer the consequences of the conflict,” he added.
Some background: Ukraine faces a potential aid shortfall from U.S. and European allies, a situation that senior officials say might raise serious concerns on the battlefield amid the Russian invasion.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, stated this Wednesday that he is concerned regarding the failure of Congressional efforts to approve weapons for Kyiv. Tuesday’s historic removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the Washington legislature means that legislation cannot be passed until a new leader is installed, which might delay military aid to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, NATO and British officials urged the bloc’s nations to increase weapons production because stockpiles may be scarce, in a worrying development for allies hoping to maintain a steady flow of aid to Ukraine.
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