Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated on Friday that the Italian Constitution prohibits the government from allowing Kyiv to use the weapons provided by Italy on targets within Russian territory.
This stance comes amid reports that many of Italy’s allies have indicated their willingness to permit Ukraine to use their weapons for strikes inside Russian territory. This followed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s suggestion that Kyiv should receive the green light for such actions.
“Every state has its own laws, its own Constitution,” Crosetto remarked at the national conference of Confindustria’s Young Entrepreneurs in Rapallo. “Article 11 of our Constitution imposes caveats on us with respect to the use of the weapons we give to Ukraine. They must be used for the defence of Ukraine, which includes striking Russians in Ukraine; but they cannot be used on the territory of another country. This is my opinion and it is shared by the premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.”
These sentiments echoed those expressed by Tajani earlier on Friday at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague. “For us, it is impossible for our weapons to be used outside Ukraine,” Tajani stated. “We are ready to send more weapons, but it is important that these weapons are used inside Ukraine for defence, such as air defence.
“We have sent Samp-Ts (air-defence systems) and it is possible for us to send other Samp-Ts for defence. But it is important that these weapons are used inside Ukraine for defence.”
