The day of La Verità – Weapons, Europe, Ukraine and Gaza. Here are the themes of the interview of the director Maurizio Belpietro to the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto
«I use the term defense, different from the term rearmament. Those who are remedying is Russia, we try to build the defense »the Minister of Defense immediately clarifies Guido Crosetto. A clarification that comes to clearly distinguish the intent of Italy compared to that of Moscow. In fact, Crosetto underlines how the defense is not limited only to military aspect: «It’s not just weapons, Tajani is right, the defense has many aspects, such as competition on science, technology, raw materials. The battle on who will be the power of the new century will be fought on this plan ».
Speaking of the Conflict in Ukrainethe minister observes: «It is a war that has everything: the great technology and also the trenches like those of the First World War. A war that has shown the importance of the number of soldiers available “.
To the question of the director Belpietro on a possible Russian threat to Europe – “Do you believe that Russia can attack Europe?” – Crosetto replies: «In Russia everything is programmed. I don’t think Moscow wants to attack us, in the meantime, however, I have to deal with building a defense “. And he adds clearly: “We are less ready to defend ourselves not to send the weapons to Kiev, but because we have stopped investing in defense”.
The minister also recalls how the requests of the United States to increase European military spending are not recent at all: “The United States had started with Obama to ask that we increased the expense for the defense”. Then he shares a significant anecdote: “At the born meeting, the former American defense minister spoke first and said:” Signors, we have defended you so far. Now our priority is China and indopacific, so you have to defend yourself. We have come to spend up to 13% of GDP, now we ask you to recover the gap, so now you spend 5% “».
Crosetto does not hide the bitterness in finding a lack of strategic level: “European deterrence does not exist, we have the American one”underlines, then adding: “European nuclear powers, France and Great Britain, are not in the least comparable to the Russian or American one”.
Finally, a clear comment also on the Conflict in the Middle East: «From a military point of view, this war has no sense of existing for months. Hamas is pursued with other methodsalso because in this way a terrorist organization is given strength that feeds on hatred against Israel. We will always support Israel, but it is Hamas who has to pay for October 7, not the Palestinian people ».
