Italy's Crosetto Blasts US Curbs on Ukraine Intelligence as Support for Arms Falls to 18%
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Oct 16
Italy's Crosetto Blasts US Curbs on Ukraine Intelligence as Support for Arms Falls to 18%
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Oct 16
Summary
Guido Crosetto said any US move to limit Ukraine's access to satellite systems and intelligence was a "complete mistake" that would weaken Kyiv and prolong Russia's war.
In a BBC interview, the Italian defence minister argued peace requires Putin to see a stalemate, not Ukrainian weakness; US officials and Donald Trump deny cutting internet speeds or early-warning alerts.
Rome's criticism has sharpened this week after Giorgia Meloni attacked Trump's diesel deal with Russia, saying it risks legitimising Moscow while it bombs Ukrainian cities.
Italy will keep sending military aid while Meloni's government lasts, Crosetto said, though parliamentary approval could get harder before a vote due by end-2027.
Public backing is thin: an Ixè poll in September put support for continuing arms supplies at 18%, as fuel-price protests grow and Crosetto says Russian disinformation is shifting opinion.
As rumors of satellite blackouts swirl, can Italy's secret air-defense package truly protect Ukraine's skies from relentless missile strikes?
Will Europe's fragile united front against hybrid warfare collapse as rising energy costs push desperate voters to demand an end to military aid?
If vital satellite intelligence goes dark, what alternative early-warning systems can possibly save civilians from the next devastating wave of aerial bombardments?