Rome: When asked if Italy would be able to provide Ukraine with air defence systems as requested by President Volodymyr Zelensky, the defence minister of Italy adopted a cautious tone.
According to Guido Crosetto, the systems would be provided "if possible," according to a Wednesday article in the newspaper Il Messaggero. He went on to say that "if we give air defence missiles to Ukraine, we must take them from our stocks and we must do that without depleting them, and we must be sure of the quality."
This month, Crosetto revealed to Reuters that Kyiv had asked Rome for military assistance, which included the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defence system.
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After speaking with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, Zelensky tweeted that Rome was considering providing air defences. His comments to Il Messaggero come in response to that tweet.
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In order to counter three months of Russian missile and drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, he is putting pressure on Ukraine's Western allies to increase military aid.
Italy sent five aid shipments to Kyiv, including military supplies, under former Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Meloni's administration is preparing for a potential sixth shipment.
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Despite disagreements on the subject within her rightist ruling coalition and a strong pacifist element in domestic public opinion, Meloni, who took office in October, has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv.