IRIA News

Italy’s new prime minister has pledged the country’s “strong commitment” to NATO and emphasized her support for Ukraine during her meeting with the NATO chief.

“I confirm Italy’s commitment to NATO and the common challenges that the alliance is facing in this delicate moment,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following their meeting in Rome on November 10.

Highlighting that transatlantic and European dimensions are essential for the country’s security, she said that the alliance is “indispensable” for the country’s security and prosperity.

Meloni, who heads Italy’s first far-right-led government since the end of World War II, took a firm pro-alliance stance after one of the members of her ruling coalition expressed pro-Russian sentiments.

Meloni and Stoltenberg discussed support for Ukraine and challenges from the south. Meloni, who took office last month, said that the best way to defend European security was to remain united. “Italy strongly supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and freedom of Ukraine,” Meloni said. “The political cohesion of the alliance and our full commitment to supporting the Ukrainian cause are, from our point of view, the best response that NATO allies can give.”

Stoltenberg thanked Italy for its contributions, which he said amounted to “hundreds of millions of euros” in humanitarian and financial support for Ukraine.

Italy’s key role in NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Italian prime minister’s “strong, personal commitment to NATO, to our transatlantic Alliance between North America and Europe” and said that “it is important that we work closely together, especially at this crucial moment for our security.”

During the meeting, Stoltenberg also pointed out that Italy was “one of the founding members of our Alliance” and has a key role in NATO.

“Italy stands shoulder-to-shoulder with other Allies to keep the peace in Europe, and to support Ukraine, for as long as it takes. Italy leads NATO’s new multinational battlegroup in Bulgaria and your troops serve with NATO forces in Latvia. Italian jets keep the skies safe with NATO Air Policing, from the Black Sea to the High North; your ships are part of NATO’s patrols in the Mediterranean and beyond,” he said.

Italy also hosts several important NATO facilities, including Joint Force Command Naples and our Alliance Ground Surveillance Force in Sigonella.

During his visit, the NATO Secretary General also met with the Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and spoke at NATO’s 2022 Cyber Defence Pledge conference, jointly organized by Italy and the United States with the support of NATO’s International Staff.

The NATO chief warned of the real and growing threat from cyberspace citing recent cyberattacks against satellites, critical infrastructure, and government departments. “Cyber is a constantly contested space and the line between peace, crisis and conflict is blurred,” he said. He explained that NATO states take the threat to cyberspace from state and non-state actors so seriously that they “have taken determined steps to guard against cyber-attacks. It is key to our collective defense”.

NATO chief on Kherson withdrawal

NATO secretary general said that he is still awaiting ground reports from Kherson and if confirmed, Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson would be “another victory for Ukraine”.

“We have to see how the situation on the ground develops in the coming days. But what is clear is that Russia is under heavy pressure and if they leave Kherson, it would be another victory for Ukraine,” he said.

Ukraine said its forces had reclaimed a dozen villages in the southern Kherson region, a day after Russia ordered its troops to withdraw from Kherson and its forces had begun to pull out. “We have seen how the Ukrainian armed forces have been able to push back Russian forces and liberate territory,” the NATO chief said, adding that “These gains belong to the brave courageous soldiers of Ukraine.”