" It is a banal fact of reality that it is not possible to imagine a guarantee of lasting security by dividing Europe and the United States. It is right that Europe equips itself to do its part but it is naive to think that it can do it alone outside the framework of NATO ."
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said this during the briefing in the Senate Chamber in view of the European Council. The alert on duties must be contained: "I am convinced that we must continue to work with concreteness and pragmatism, to find a possible common ground and avoid a trade war that would benefit no one, neither the United States nor Europe. I believe it is not wise to fall into the temptation of retaliation, which becomes a vicious circle in which everyone loses."
On ReArm Europe, the 800 billion euro rearmament plan for Europe strongly supported by the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, « I believe it is a misleading name for citizens because we are called to strengthen our defensive capabilities but today this does not simply mean buying weapons but first and foremost producing them» and again «compared to the simple strengthening of arsenals» also «operations, essential services, energy infrastructures, supply chains: all things that cannot be done simply with weapons. Without this approach there is no defense».
"I take this opportunity to announce that Italy does not intend to divert a single euro from the Cohesion Funds for defense and we are all in agreement on this" , he added, recalling that the 800 billion of the Plan "are neither resources taken from other spending items nor additional European resources" and that "Italy opposed the automatic transfer of a portion of the Cohesion Funds to defense and it is a battle we have won".
As for sending Italian troops to Ukraine: "I will be clear in front of this Chamber, it is a topic that has never been on the agenda , just as we believe that sending European troops, initially proposed by the United Kingdom and France, is a very complex, risky and ineffective option". An opportunity to reiterate support for the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella "every time he is attacked for the sole reason of having remembered who the aggressors and who the attacked are".
On the Middle Eastern front and the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, Meloni concluded, " we are following with great concern the resumption of fighting in Gaza, which jeopardises the objectives towards which we are all working, the release of all hostages and a permanent end to hostilities, as well as the restoration of full humanitarian assistance in the Strip."
(Online Union)