France and Italy refuse to join Trump’s Ukraine weapons fund amid rising NATO tensions

By International News UK Staff | www.internationalnews.uk

LONDON — France and Italy have officially declined to join former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Ukraine weapons fund, according to senior NATO sources, deepening divisions within the alliance over military support for Kyiv.

The controversial U.S.-led initiative, dubbed the “arms pipeline,” is aimed at streamlining Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine amid intensifying Russian offensives in the east. At least eight other NATO countries, including Poland, the UK, and the Baltic states, have reportedly expressed interest in participating.

However, French and Italian officials have raised serious concerns about the fund’s governance, its potential to escalate conflict with Russia, and Trump’s unilateral approach to transatlantic security.

“This is not the time for improvised coalitions or politicized pipelines,” a French diplomatic source told International News UK. “We support Ukraine, but we will not outsource Europe’s security to Washington.”

Italy echoed the sentiment, with Defence Minister Lucia Bianchi stating, “Rome remains committed to NATO solidarity, but this fund raises more questions than answers.”

Trump, who is widely expected to seek reelection in 2028, has promoted the weapons initiative as a faster, more efficient alternative to existing NATO mechanisms. Critics, however, view it as an attempt to sideline traditional allies and reassert U.S. dominance over European defense policy.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has not publicly endorsed the fund but acknowledged that “all efforts to support Ukraine are welcome, provided they align with alliance principles.”

Ukraine’s government has not officially commented, though sources in Kyiv say they are “watching developments closely.”

More updates to follow.
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