Italy refuses to join NATO's Ukraine weapons program

Italy has decided not to support NATO's 'Priority Ukraine Requirements List' (PURL) program, under which countries purchase American weapons for Ukraine. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced the decision in parliament. Italy also signaled it may not join the European Defence Fund scheme or the EU's SAFE concessional loan program for defense spending. Despite this, Italy plans to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, with 3.5% for armaments and 1.5% for internal security.