Italian protesters march against sending weapons to Ukraine

Italian protesters have staged a demonstration, demanding the government stop sending weapons to the Kiev regime to fight Russia.

Italy, as a founding member of the US-led NATO, has been supportive of Ukraine since the conflict with Russia broke out, sending weapons to Kiev.

Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the Italian capital city Rome on Saturday, urging the government to stop sending of weapons to Ukraine to fight the Russian forces, and calling for peace in the former Soviet republic.

"No to war. No to sending weapons", read a large banner, while the demonstrators were chanting, "give peace a chance."

More western arms supplies to Ukraine risks ‘further destabilization’: Putin

ussian President Vladimir Putin has warned the leaders of France and Germany against ramping up arms supplies to Ukraine, saying they could further destabilize the situation in the former Soviet state.

"The weapons were sent at the beginning on the grounds that this would prevent an escalation," demonstrator Roberto Zanotto told AFP. "Nine months later and it seems to me that there's been an escalation. Look at the facts: sending weapons does not help stop a war, weapons help fuel a war."

Student Sara Gianpietro said the war was being dragged out by arming Ukraine, which "has economic consequences for our country, but for the respect of human rights too".

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Italy

In the meantime, Italy's new far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that Rome will stick with NATO policy and not change its anti-Moscow stance in regard to the Ukraine conflict despite her party's leniency towards Russia.

Italy, like other NATO members, has been providing Kiev with arms since the start of the war in late February. The new government in Rome has said it is expecting to send more weapons soon.

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