Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is trying to quell the conflict within the Italian government.
Matteo Salvini, deputy prime minister of Italy, who was reelected on Sunday as leader of the far-right League party, promised to push the government to stop aid to Ukraine. His statement exposed disagreements within the ruling coalition.
He also questioned whether a portion of the funds sent to Ukraine had ended up with corrupt officials in the president's inner circle, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Salvini's party is part of the Europe of Patriots group in the European Parliament, along with Marine Le Pen's French National Rally. Salvini himself has repeatedly spoken out against military aid to Kyiv.
This stance runs counter to the policy of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government has supported Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Meloni spoke out against Salvini's position.
According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, after Salvini's speech Meloni phoned him to express her displeasure with his ultimatum and to warn against publicly displaying disagreements within the coalition.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who heads the Forza Italia party — another coalition partner — confirmed on Monday that the government line remains unchanged.
"Our position is well known: we support Ukraine and will continue to help it as long as necessary," Tajani said.
He added that the next package of military aid is already ready and will be sent to Kyiv as soon as possible.
The dispute unfolds amid a contest between Italy's right-wing parties for voters ahead of next year's general elections. At the same time Salvini faces competition from the far-right National Future party of former army general Roberto Vannacci.
Vannacci, who openly criticizes EU support for Ukraine, is wooing League voters. Recent polls indicate his party is gaining ground at Salvini's expense.
Earlier Meloni had already dismissed suggestions that she might make deals with forces opposing military aid to Ukraine for electoral gain.
She said she does not intend to renounce her convictions for the sake of electoral advantage.
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