Meloni says Ukraine support costs her politically but she won't reverse course
In excerpts from a forthcoming book, Italy's PM defends continued aid to Kyiv even as coalition partner Salvini pushes to end it.
What to know
- Meloni, in excerpts from Bruno Vespa's forthcoming book, says supporting Ukraine is politically costly but refuses to change course.
- Her coalition is split: League leader Matteo Salvini wants to end Italy's aid to Kyiv, while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says another aid package is coming.
- Online reaction is largely tangential, with commenters debating Meloni's political origins and Italy's domestic protest policing more than the Ukraine policy itself.
- The story underscores a recurring tension inside Meloni's right-wing coalition over how far to back Ukraine as the war continues.
The dispute Commenters disagree on whether Meloni's firm Ukraine stance reflects genuine principle or masks a more troubling domestic and historical record. · positions read across 15 posts and comments
Meloni's past and party symbolism tie her to a neofascist lineage that undercuts her legitimacy.
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“She herself was part of the Italian Social Movement, a neofascist party, in her youth, and there's a clip of her praising mussolini which she still hasn't denounced”
Dotcaprachiappa · Reddit ↗
Despite disagreements elsewhere, Meloni's firm anti-Putin stance on Ukraine earns grudging respect.
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“It's always a surprise when the worst person possible comes out with a decent take worth a measure of respect. In essence - I'm glad not everyone is in Putin's pocket just yet.”
Banaanisade · Reddit ↗
Her government's domestic conduct, including policing of protests, contradicts any image of principled moderation.
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“I live in a city in italy where protestors are protesting every week. I don't see any looting, but I do have to plan when I walk my dog so we don't get gassed by the fucking cops.”
SpotNL · Reddit ↗
Giorgia Meloni Italian Prime Minister
Matteo Salvini Deputy Premier, Transport Minister, League leaderAntonio Tajani Deputy Premier, Foreign Minister, Forza Italia leader
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump postscomments
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Meloni's remarks recirculate on social media
A Mastodon post restates Meloni's comments to a wider international audience, reiterating that she will not change course on Ukraine despite domestic political cost.
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Italian PM Giorgia Meloni says her government’s support for Ukraine may cost her politically, including among some of her own voters, but she has no intention of changing course. “I do not support Ukraine simply for the sake of the Ukrainians. I do it for Italy,” she said. Meloni argued that an international order where only the militarily…
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
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There are two major things that will go a long way to helping the US fix whats happening right now. First ranked choice voting, this takes a ton of power away from the two major political parties allowing you to actually vote for who you think would do the best job instead of it being wasted unless you vote for who wins the popularity contest in…
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Online discussion splits between Ukraine support and Meloni's domestic record
Reddit commenters debate Meloni's stance on Ukraine alongside unrelated criticism of her political roots and her government's handling of domestic protests, with little consensus on how to read her position.
“I am fully aware that our support for Ukraine may come at a political cost, that there may even be a segment of our electorate that disagrees, but I do not intend to change my position…”
— Giorgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister · source -
It's not like Putin and Lula have a bad relationship. In May 2022, Lula placed blame on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying "This guy is as responsible as Putin for the war". Lula also repeatedly attacked NATO and the European Union as having caused the war. He accused NATO of "claiming for itself the…
2 more of the top 3 · 13 posts in this stretch
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Her political lineage isn’t really open to debate. She is apparently unable to commemorate things like WW2 or the Bologna bombing properly - both siding or not recognising blame. She does seem more interested in cementing her power, than, I don’t know, dealing with the cost of living. She is canny politically, she presents herself much more…
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She herself was part of the Italian Social Movement, a neofascist party, in her youth, and there's a clip of her praising mussolini which she still hasn't denounced, and the current president of the senate, a senior member of her party, has multiple busts of mussolini in his office which he says he's not ashamed of, and finally that tricolor flame…
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background
Tajani counters Salvini, says new Ukraine aid package is coming — Foreign Minister and Forza Italia leader Antonio Tajani responds to Salvini's push by saying another package of aid for Ukraine is already in the pipeline, exposing a coalition rift.
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Meloni frames Ukraine aid as serving Italy's interest, not just Kyiv's — Meloni argues support is not altruism toward Ukrainians but a matter of Italian national interest, warning against a world order where military strength alone prevails.
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Meloni defends Ukraine support in book interview excerpts — ANSA publishes excerpts of Meloni's interview with veteran journalist Bruno Vespa for his forthcoming book, in which she says backing Kyiv may be politically costly but that she won't shift her position.
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Salvini re-elected League leader, renews bid to end Kyiv support — Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, re-elected head of the League on the preceding Sunday, repeats his scepticism about aiding Ukraine and says he will push to stop Italy's economic and military support.
What people are saying 10 voices from 1 site · best of 15 · verbatim
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I live in a city in italy where protestors are protesting every week. I don't see any looting, but I do have to plan when I walk my dog so we don't get gassed by the fucking cops. I think you're reversing who is escalating here.
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Folk like rotello can see Fascism from their location on the political horseshoe, so badmouth any centrist ideology in order to create distance to deal with the cognitive dissonance of being the other side of the fascist coin…
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He probably isn't. A lot of people think that way these ways and I'm starting to think that the world is full of vampires because most people could self reflect even of you tried to force them at gunpoint
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Because the only things she has done are actually... nothing. It's hard to be crazy when you don't even do something.
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Russia invaded Georgia and Crimea in the 10 years preceding this invasion of Ukraine. They have been a regional menace for a long time and their courtship of Europe was only to build nord stream 2 to use as a lever of power to force Germany into supporting (or turning a blind eye to) the current invasion of Ukraine.
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To be fair, Italy’s government is always embroiled in some scandal or another. It’s not a place renown for political stability.
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Well, she is tho. Like her friends. Well, most of them, some are just racist idiots.
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Well I'll be a grammar nazi. ** Oh so basically. I am fascist too right?** A full stop shouldn't go there^
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These are oligarchs trying the divide up the world. The absolute power and the technological grip they have at their disposal is something completely new. The problem with calling it racism is that it makes it sound like it is a political ideology to counter.
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Russia/Ukraine conflict really seems to be the one thing that I have in common with a surprising many people that I otherwise disagree with on next to every other issue. It's always a surprise when the worst person possible comes out with a decent take worth a measure of respect. In essence - I'm glad not everyone is in Putin's pocket just yet.