Conte rejects military aid to Ukraine, says primaries will decide centre-left foreign policy

No to military aid, yes to sanctions

Conte, speaking at the PiazzAsiago festival in Asiago on 2 August, confirmed that the Five Star Movement would not vote for further military support to Ukraine. He recalled that the M5S had backed the initial arms shipment to prevent Russia from overrunning the entire country, but now argued that Ukraine already has a "super-equipped military arsenal" and that the presence of far-right components and a black market for weapons raised questions about where the arms end up.

We do not vote for military support. As for economic aid and sanctions, yes.

Primaries to settle foreign policy

The M5S leader said the coalition's unresolved foreign policy dispute would be settled through primaries. Should he win the primaries and become the centre-left candidate for prime minister, he would "fight in Europe to find a negotiated solution that protects the interests of Ukraine, which is the country that was attacked." Conte also insisted that "non-negotiable points" on common European defence, healthcare and public services must be clarified before any alliance is formed, a direct challenge to PD secretary Elly Schlein.

We will resolve it with primaries. We will let the Italians decide.

PD fires back

Democratic Party figures reacted within hours. Senator Lia Quartapelle wrote that "there are those who want to break the coalition" on an issue of the highest value for the PD. Senator Simona Malpezzi stressed that the centre-left knows the difference between Russia and Ukraine and that anyone aspiring to lead it must stand unequivocally with Kyiv. Deputy Filippo Sensi was more cutting, labelling Conte "the Vannacci of the broad field" and accusing him of "promising a pro-Russian agenda and playing at wrecking." Carlo Calenda, leader of Azione, said the PD should either end the broad field or force Conte to reverse course. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani, of Forza Italia, said Conte was free to side with Russia and challenged the PD to clarify its own foreign policy.

The Vannacci of the broad field is agitating, promising a pro-Russian agenda and playing at wrecking.

Conte's diplomatic blueprint

Conte laid out a personal peace plan: if he became premier, he would call Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, reassure him that Ukraine is the victim of aggression, then immediately call Vladimir Putin to push for a negotiated turn. He criticised the European Union for failing to appoint a negotiator after two and a half months, and called for a "coalition of the courageous" to replace the current group of willing nations led by France, the United Kingdom and Germany. On European defence, he supported a common EU defence but rejected the rearmament plans of individual capitals, singling out Germany, where the far-right AfD leads in polls, and warning that history had taught nothing if a rearmed Germany fell into neo-Nazi hands.

I would call Zelensky, meet him. I would reassure him: he is the one attacked, but a moment later I would call Putin to push for a negotiated turn.

Coalition fractures widen

The exchange deepened the fault lines inside Italy's progressive camp ahead of the 2027 general election. Conte's insistence on primaries as the arbiter of foreign policy directly challenges Schlein's leadership and the PD's pro-Ukraine line. While Conte framed the move as democratic, PD figures saw it as an ultimatum designed to either bend the coalition to M5S positions or justify a rupture. The episode also drew in centrist and right-wing voices, with Calenda and Tajani using it to question the viability of any alliance that includes the Five Star Movement.