Italy PM urges Europe to build independent defense

(MENAFN) According to recent reports, Italy’s prime minister underscored that Europe must develop its own security capabilities if it intends to function as a genuine global power. She argued that no continent can claim strategic weight while depending on others for its defense.

In a televised interview discussing the newly released US national security strategy—which encourages Europe to take greater responsibility for its own protection—she remarked that relying on external actors inevitably carries a price. Describing autonomous defense as an "inevitable process and an opportunity", she noted that while such an approach requires financial investment, it ultimately grants political sovereignty.

She rejected suggestions that relations between Washington and the EU are deteriorating, saying she finds parts of the US assessment of European political dynamics accurate and believes the document reflects conditions that have existed for some time.

Addressing Italy’s policy on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, she stated that her administration’s stance has been consistent from the beginning and that supporting Ukraine is viewed as a step toward achieving peace. True peace, she maintained, is created through deterrence rather than optimism alone.

On the issue of recognizing Palestine, she emphasized that Italy must follow an existing parliamentary mandate that sets prerequisites including the disarmament of Hamas and ensuring the group is excluded from any future governing structure in Gaza.

MENAFN06122025000045017640ID1110445008