Italy has reaffirmed that it will not contribute funds toward the acquisition of American-made weapons destined for Ukraine, highlighting Rome’s continued caution regarding increased defense expenditures.
Speaking before the Italian Parliament, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated that Italy would not take part in NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. The program enables participating nations to finance U.S. military equipment that is subsequently transferred to Ukraine.
Crosetto emphasized that Italy’s position has remained unchanged since the proposal was first introduced, saying the government had opposed participation from the outset and continues to do so.
Earlier this month, NATO announced that member nations had collectively committed nearly $6 billion to the PURL program, with a major portion earmarked for strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. According to the alliance, the initiative has financed approximately 70 percent of the missiles used by Ukraine’s Patriot systems and 90 percent of the ammunition required for other air-defense platforms.
Countries supporting the effort include Germany, Canada, Netherlands, and Sweden, with Sweden recently announcing an additional contribution of $543 million.
Rome’s refusal to join the PURL initiative comes amid broader hesitation over new defense financing mechanisms. Italy has already indicated that it is unlikely to participate in the European Union’s NEC framework, which permits member states to exclude certain defense expenditures from deficit calculations, thereby creating additional room for military investments without violating EU fiscal rules.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also suggested that Italy may stay out of the EU’s SAFE loan program, which could have provided the country with €14.9 billion in low-cost financing for defense projects.
Meloni has argued that the government’s immediate priority is addressing rising energy costs and supporting households facing higher living expenses. With national elections approaching next year, public enthusiasm for increased military spending has weakened, making defense investments a more politically sensitive issue.
Although Crosetto has publicly supported the possibility of using SAFE loans, he told lawmakers that the final decision rests with Italy’s finance ministry rather than the defense establishment.
Government officials have indicated that discussions over potential participation in the loan program remain ongoing.
Earlier this week, Crosetto traveled to the United States for talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Following their meeting, Hegseth stated that both sides agreed on the importance of NATO members increasing military spending, expanding defense production, and maintaining combat-ready armed forces.
During a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Hegseth criticized what he described as continued dependence by some affluent alliance members, arguing that certain countries still appeared to expect the benefits of collective security without making sufficient contributions. He did not identify specific nations.
Despite its reluctance to embrace some defense funding initiatives, Italy has nevertheless pledged support for NATO’s new target of spending 5 percent of GDP on security-related activities. Under the proposed framework, 3.5 percent would be dedicated to military capabilities, while the remaining 1.5 percent would cover broader domestic security measures.
Last year, Italy reported reaching the alliance’s 2 percent benchmark by reclassifying expenditures related to the country’s tax police, coast guard, cyber programs, and space activities as defense spending.
On June 11, Meloni announced that Italy’s defense-related expenditure would rise to 2.8 percent of GDP in 2026. She attributed much of the increase to homeland security investments, which contributed roughly 0.71 percent of GDP.
Italian officials explained that the additional spending would focus on border protection, cybersecurity, space programs, and dual-use technologies, aligning with the broader security-related spending category outlined in NATO’s updated targets.
