The Council of Ministers of Italy has supported prolonging the authority to supply Ukraine with military and military-technical aid for another year, until the end of 2024.

With this decision, the Italian government suggests prolonging its powers to supply Ukraine with armament, means of transport and material-technical means. The decision is yet to be approved by both chambers of the Italian Parliament.

"The decree-law in question will allow the government to support the Ukrainian people, devoted to protecting freedom and sovereignty of their state, for one more year by supplying them, as before, not only with armament but also with equipment, generators and everything necessary for supporting military operations for protecting innocent civilians," it stated.

Guido Crosetto, Minister of Defence of Italy, stressed that with this decision Rome once again "chooses the side of the freedom of nations and the respect for international law with the aim of achieving fair and long-lasting peace in accordance with the position of NATO and EU allies".

The decision about supplying Ukraine with military aid was adopted by the previous Italian government chaired by Mario Draghi. After new Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s rise to power in the autumn of 2022 her Council of Ministers decided to prolong these powers for 2023.

As of today at least seven Italian military aid packages were publicly announced, and in October Crosetto reported about the preparation of the eighth one.