U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte are reportedly pressuring Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to join the PURPL program, a U.S.-led initiative aimed at supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Initially, Meloni declined to participate, citing Italy’s economic challenges and a negative public opinion toward further military spending, according to La Stampa.
However, the newspaper notes that “something later changed.” Trump personally urged Meloni to “make an effort,” while Rutte emphasized that PURPL is crucial for maintaining NATO unity and increasing arms deliveries to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also attempted to persuade Meloni to back the initiative.
Sources say the Italian leader has not yet made a final decision, noting that “she is still reflecting.”
Despite this, Meloni reportedly fears domestic political backlash, as members of her coalition partner party, Lega, have accused her of “trading healthcare for weapons.”
