Italy's 13th Ukraine aid package stalls as Giorgetti's signature is still missing

Signature dispute

Italy's 13th military aid package for Ukraine is stuck on a missing signature in the governing coalition. Economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has not signed the interministerial decree, which means neither the military nor the civilian aid can be published or start moving. Lega sources confirmed the gap on the evening of 9 November, noting that Giorgetti was in Brussels for the Ecofin meeting. Palazzo Chigi replied that the classified document cannot be signed remotely and that Giorgetti will sign later. Tajani, however, announced that everyone involved had signed, a claim that does not match the Lega's account. On 9 November, at a G7 foreign ministers meeting, Tajani had also said Italy was ready to send the package:

“We will do everything so that Ukraine can continue to defend itself until peace is reached.”

Lega opposition and package contents

The Lega wants an end to new arms shipments and a just peace pursued through other channels, and it now stands alone in the majority on that line. Meloni and Forza Italia have held firm on backing Kyiv for as long as necessary. The package is expected to include civilian help such as generators as well as air-defence items, which is Kyiv's main request. Aster missiles, which arm the air-defence system already supplied, could be included according to reporting, though the contents are classified. Crosetto told the Senate that the threats have narrowed over time and that Kyiv now asks for items no longer available, and he said:

“We have prepared this thirteenth package while keeping a commitment we made to Parliament as a government, and we will continue to keep it.”

Decree mechanism beyond 2026

Crosetto intends to propose extending the decree mechanism into next year, as has been done since 2022. Four decree laws have been converted into law by Parliament, allowing twelve aid packages to pass through interministerial measures that only require a briefing to the Copasir. According to Crosetto, the mechanism was chosen by the Draghi government and voted by practically all current parties. In an interview with Repubblica he addressed what happens when the current authorisation expires, saying:

“The authorisation from the Chambers ends on 31 December, and what happens afterwards will be decided by Parliament and the government.”

Open reports the hypothesis that the Lega could try in 2027 to block the decree covering annual legal cover for new shipments.

EU funding and the Dublin summit

The Council of the EU has extended the EU military assistance mission for Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) by two years, to 15 November 2028, with a budget of almost 300 million euros, and decided to set up a presence in Ukraine. Separately, Friedrich Merz wrote to António Costa before the Dublin summit, threatening to block the 2028-2034 EU budget unless all member states commit to funding Ukraine from 2027, according to the Financial Times, which saw the letter. Kyiv says it needs 70 billion euros more next year, and the EU has pledged about two-thirds of that, roughly 45 billion euros. Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have signalled that they will not contribute further financial aid.

Kyiv's stated 2027 need70

EU share, about two-thirds45

Kyiv's stated 2027 need

70 EUR bn

EU share, about two-thirds

45 EUR bn

Data from the article text

What comes next

Crosetto is due to brief the Copasir on the afternoon of 10 November, and Palazzo Chigi says Giorgetti will sign afterwards. Lega irritation is expected to surface at the committee, according to reporting. The sequence so far is laid out below.

EU leaders meet in Dublin on 12 and 13 November, where Merz has asked for the Ukraine funding gap to be addressed. The Commission is weighing options including new joint debt, with leaders hoping for a deal by the end of the year.