Should military aid to Ukraine continue? A key question for Italy's next elections

Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, leader of the 5 Star Movement, has ignited a political debate by questioning the continuation of military aid to Ukraine should the center-left coalition win the upcoming elections. Conte's comments have highlighted deep divisions within the Italian left on the issue of Ukraine as the country approaches general elections next year.

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We will untangle this knot in the internal elections. We will let Italians decide.

Conte stated that while his party initially supported military aid due to a perceived military imbalance with Russia, they now advocate for a shift towards negotiations. He suggested that the decision on further aid should be made by center-left voters in internal party elections to determine the coalition's leader. "We will untangle this knot in the internal elections. We will let Italians decide," Conte said, emphasizing that the primary goal is a negotiated solution involving both Ukrainian and Russian leaders.

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It doesn't work like that. First comes the program agreed upon by the entire alliance, and then the internal elections, because whoever wins them must lead the entire coalition, not just their own party.

However, Conte's remarks immediately caused friction with the Democratic Party, the largest party in the center-left coalition. Party leader Elly Schlein rejected the idea of deciding Ukraine policy through internal elections, stating that the alliance's program should come first. She indicated that she would compete with Conte for leadership of the center-left. Lorenzo Guerini, a prominent Democrat and former defense minister, warned Conte against dividing the coalition and reaffirmed the party's support for Ukraine, calling military aid a "non-negotiable issue."

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If he divides the broad coalition, he will bear responsibility. We support Ukraine by sending weapons. The Democratic Party will support Kyiv.

Divisions over Ukraine also extend to Italy's right-wing government. While Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition partners, the League, are reluctant to support Ukraine and oppose increased defense budgets, this has not prevented the government from continuing aid. Conte's stance, however, adds a significant layer of complexity to the center-left's electoral strategy and its position on a critical foreign policy issue.

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Military aid to Ukraine is a non-negotiable issue. Period.