M5S plunge into civil war

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 20 - The 5-Star Movement (M5S) has descended into civil war with leader and ex-premier Giuseppe Conte openly at loggerheads with Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, the group's former head.
    The M5S's national council held a four-hour meeting overnight to discuss Di Maio's criticism of Conte's stance that Italy should not send any more weapons to Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
    Di Maio said this would lead to Italy's position no longer being in line with its EU and NATO allies.
    Conte argues that continuing to give military aid to Kyiv risks prolonging the war and the suffering it is causing.
    There had been speculation that Sunday's M5S meeting would lead to Di Maio being expelled from the movement.
    This did not happen but the prospect of the minister being ejected is not off the table and a split is seen as likely by many political analysts.
    Lower House Speaker Roberto Fico, a senior M5S member, came out on Conte's side on Monday.
    "We are angry and disappointed," he said.
    "I can't understand Foreign Minister Di Maio's attacks on the positions regarding NATO and Europe.
    "We are victim of something that is a mystery to me and that does not correspond to the truth about the M5S, which has always been attached to the EU and NATO".
    The situation could escalate further on Tuesday when Premier Mario Draghi will report to parliament on the war in Ukraine and lawmakers will vote on a resolution linked to that.
    Tension within the M5S is high after it did badly in a recent round of local elections. (ANSA).