Meloni postpones Italy’s 13th Ukraine aid package ahead of US midterms

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has postponed Italy’s thirteenth military aid package for Ukraine, according to reporting published October 29. The decision is being linked to the outcome of the US midterm elections, although the timing and terms of any future delivery are not specified.

Italy’s last reported shipment of weapons to Ukraine came nearly a year ago. The postponement follows a change in US support, including reduced intelligence-sharing and weapons flows, alongside pressure on Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries.

The immediate parties are Italy, Ukraine and the United States. Italy’s military package is the concrete mechanism: delaying it would defer the transfer of weapons to Kyiv, while the US position sets the wider diplomatic and military context for European decisions.

The reporting describes the package as postponed rather than permanently cancelled. It also links the decision to a future US political outcome, leaving the timing of any resumption and the contents of the package open.

The next markers are the US midterm outcome and any subsequent Italian announcement on the aid package. Further European decisions on weapons deliveries and changes in US intelligence-sharing or arms flows would show whether the pause is isolated or part of a broader shift.