Italy is not ready for 'Russian attack or attack by any madman' - MoD
Photo: Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto (Getty Images)
Italy acknowledges that it is not prepared for an attack, neither from Russia nor from any other state, and the last two decades of underfunding in defense are difficult to make up for quickly, The Guardian informs.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto explained that over the past 20 years, Italy has not invested enough in defense, and these gaps "cannot be made up in a year or two."
"We are not ready for either a Russian attack or an attack by another nation. I’ve been saying this for a long time. I think it’s our job to put this country in a position to defend itself if a madman decides to attack us – I don’t just mean Putin, I mean anyone," Crosetto emphasized.
Regarding Ukraine, Crosetto expressed hope for active measures from the international community in the coming weeks.
The minister noted that with the current factors unchanged, the situation could only worsen and that any deterioration compared to the situation as it stands could lead to dramatic consequences for everyone. He added that Italy is obligated to do everything possible to change the course that was leading to a collapse, which, in his view, seemed unstoppable and even accelerating.
NATO strengthens Europe’s defense
Last week, around two dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace. Air defense forces and aviation were able to shoot down only four of them.
On September 12, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the Alliance is launching Operation Eastern Sentry to strengthen the defense of Europe’s eastern flank in response to the Russian drone incursion into Poland on the night of September 10.
On Sunday, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed approval for the deployment of NATO troops to Poland.
Following this, Czechia sent three helicopters to eastern Poland to reinforce NATO’s eastern defense in response to the Russian drone incursion into Polish territory.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that over the next five years, the Russian army may attack a NATO member state to test the strength of the Alliance.
