Italy, after the full-scale invasion of Russia, became one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine in the EU and has been providing economic, military and humanitarian aid to our country since the first days. Four days after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Italy first announced the provision of weapons and offered its assistance.
Italy ranks sixth in the ranking of the Kiel Institute of the World Economy in terms of the level of aid given to Ukraine – €260 million in total – and fourth if military aid is taken into account, which amounts to almost €150 million.
On July 12, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a resolution on attracting an interest-free loan from Italy in the amount of up to €200 million through the IMF’s administrative account. The funds will be sent to the state budget of Ukraine to finance the salaries of teaching staff of general secondary education institutions.
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that after the Russian atrocities in Ukraine, Italy will support sanctions against Russian gas. Receiving about 40% of its gas from the aggressor country, Italy is diversifying its supplies.
Italian business, following the government’s position, is gradually reorienting its sales or production markets. Italian companies have left the Russian market, including energy heavyweights ENI, ENEL, Iveco engineering, Ferrero confectionery, Ferrari and Lamborghini car manufacturers, Kering (Gucci) fashion industry.
In Italy, the assets of 14 Russian businessmen was frozen – real estate, vehicles, yachts, aircraft, land and shares in companies – with a total value of more than €1.7 billion.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine caused a great wave of Italian solidarity with Ukrainians. According to the April Eurobarometer survey, 73% of Italians blamed the war on the Russian leadership, 88% said they sympathized with the Ukrainians. 70% of Italians also support Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
Since the very beginning of the war, Italy has been accepting Ukrainian refugees. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Italy, more than 120,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the country. Mostly they settle in Milan, Rome, Naples, Bologna and have the right to work, and their children – to study in local schools. Ukrainians are included in the national health care system and thus they can get prescriptions for medicines, make appointments with broad and narrow specialists, and treat acute or chronic diseases. The Italian government allocated €800 million to support Ukrainian refugees.
In addition, Italy participates in helping the Ukrainian civilian population and contributed to the organization of 15 flights by which 144 patients (including 102 children) and 183 people who accompanied them were taken out of Ukraine.
The National Civil Protection Service of Italy handed over mobile beds, tents, medicine and medical equipment to Ukraine. Italy also sent Ukraine 45 fire trucks for the State Emergency Service and 23 ambulances.
As part of military aid, Italy sent anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, light and heavy machine guns and mortars to Ukraine.
The development of mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation also remains an important priority of the two countries.
The analysis of export and import operations of the Dnipropetrovsk region with Italy demonstrates a high level of partnership relations, because the specified state is an important trade and investment partner of the region. Italy ranks 6th among exporters from the Dnipropetrovsk region and ranks 8th in the import of goods among the countries of the world. There are 5 Italian companies operating in the region, which have invested $0.1 million in the region’s economy.
According to the results of 2021, the volume of goods export from the Dnipropetrovsk region increased 2.6 times ($434.8 million), which was 12.5% of the volume of Ukraine to Italy. Among the goods that are in the greatest demand among Italian consumers are ferrous metals and products, iron ores, mineral fertilizers, sunflower oil, etc.
Export operations were carried out by 88 enterprises from the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The main exporting companies are enterprises of the mining and metallurgical complex, agro-industrial complex and processing industry.
The import of goods from Italy to the Dnipropetrovsk region amounted to $189.7 million (7.1% of Ukraine’s imports from Italy) and increased by 27% compared to 2020.
Dnipropetrovsk region traditionally bought:
Import operations were carried out by 537 importing enterprises.
Among the promising directions for export to Italy are products of the mining and metallurgical complex, equipment for railway locomotives, organic products of the agricultural sector and goods of light industry from natural materials.
