MILAN \u2014 Ukraine has emerged as a top customer for Italian arms exports, according to a new government report released just days after the leadership of both countries met to promise a closer defense industrial relationship.<\/p>\n
The report<\/a>, published on Tuesday by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and presented to parliament, ranks Ukraine fourth in authorized export licenses, with \u20ac349 million ($409 million), behind Kuwait, Germany and the US. (Kuwait\u2019s jump to the top, from 76th last year, was attributed to three major defense deals totalling approximately \u20ac2.6 billion.)<\/p>\n While the report does not disclose the exact types of weapons exported, rather listing categories, it includes: bombs, torpedoes, rockets or missiles, electronic equipment, software, land vehicles, and production know-how.<\/p>\n The growing ties between Kyiv and Rome were evident last week when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Rome, where he met with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, to discuss bolstering security ties. A statement\u00a0published<\/a>\u00a0by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense specified that the talks focused on a \u201cDrone Deal,\u201d a security agreement format created by Kyiv to foster technological defense cooperation with international partners.<\/p>\n \u201cWe propose combining our military expertise in drones, missiles, electronic warfare and more with our partners\u2019 capabilities. Italy has shown interest in this format, and Giorgia and I agreed that our teams will work through the details of a Drone Deal between our countries,\u201d the MoD quoted Zelensky as saying. Specifically, the MoD said Rome was interested in establishing a coproduction program for unmanned aerial vehicles.<\/p>\n Meloni concurred, saying <\/a>Italy is \u201cvery interested in developing joint production, particularly regarding drones. We are well aware that Ukraine has become a leading nation in this field in recent years.\u201d<\/p>\n Since 2022, Italy has supplied a dozen military aid packages to Ukraine, including the delivery with France of a SAMP\/T air defense system. According to the latest report<\/a> from the Italian secret services, Italy has provided roughly \u20ac2.8 billion in direct aid to Ukraine, alongside an additional \u20ac11.5 billion in EU-level funding.<\/p>\n