ROME
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Tuesday that Russia is transferring its military presence in Syria to Libya, emphasizing that the presence of Russian ships and submarines in the Mediterranean is always a “source of concern.”
“Moscow is relocating resources from its Tartus base in Syria to Libya. This is not good. Russian ships and submarines in the Mediterranean are always concerning. It’s even more alarming when they are just two steps away from us instead of a thousand kilometers away,” Crosetto said on reports of Moscow transferring its military assets from Syria to Libya.
Speaking to the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica,” Crosetto noted that due to Russia’s recent intensification of attacks in Ukraine, he does not see favorable conditions for a cease-fire in this war, which began in February 2022.
“I see Russia intent on consolidating its position on the ground,” he remarked.
Responding to whether Italy would play a role in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine or elsewhere, Crosetto said: “Italian troops have always been ready for peacekeeping missions. If a multinational force is needed, we will be part of it. Just as in Lebanon and Gaza, we are ready for Ukraine as well.”
He pointed out that such a mission on the Ukrainian border would not involve European forces since the parties might not accept a European mission, but rather, it should consist of UN forces.
“We would be happy to contribute if requested,” he stressed.
NATO defense spending
Crosetto also addressed the expectation of the US for NATO countries to allocate at least 2% of their GDP to defense spending, recalling that this issue has been raised since Barack Obama’s presidency and that US President-elect Donald Trump is likely to emphasize it even more strongly.
Explaining that all NATO countries are targeting defense spending levels of 2.5% to 3%, Crosetto said, “We are currently at 1.57%. While not as much as I hoped, we have increased our spending. However, we must reach 2%. Not because NATO is asking for it, but because we need to be prepared.”
The US president-elect will demand that we reach at least 2.5% by the NATO Summit in July 2025, the minister added.
“I am concerned that the US President might threaten to leave NATO, but I am not sure if it will happen. Instead, I think he will say something like this: ‘Anyone who fails to comply with the increase in military spending is out of NATO,” he added.
