Bloomberg: Italy ready to join US arms purchase program for Ukraine

Italy is prepared to finance the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said.

He announced the decision during last week’s NATO defence ministers’ meeting, noting that it falls under a special procurement program designed to help Kyiv resist Russia, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

By September, Kyiv had secured around $2 billion in funding from six countries — still well below its target, as Moscow continues to intensify attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure.

The program, known as the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), enables Ukraine to acquire weapons such as Patriot air defence systems using funds mainly provided by European partners.

Initially, Italy opposed joining the program, arguing that Ukraine had other channels to obtain weapons.

However, sources told Bloomberg that Rome’s position changed amid concerns it could be sidelined if the initiative becomes central to allies’ defence cooperation.

The sources added that Italy has already prepared at least ten military aid packages for Ukraine, including SAMP/T air defence systems and related equipment. The full contents of these packages remain classified.

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, Italy has become a steady but somewhat cautious partner in Kyiv’s defence efforts.

Italian-Ukrainian defence cooperation was formalised in a ten-year security agreement signed in April 2024, under which Rome committed to supplying Ukraine with air defence systems, missiles and training.

Italy has approved multiple aid packages (at least ten) that include advanced systems such as the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air-defence batteries and hundreds of M113 armoured personnel carriers. 

By Jeyhun Aghazada