(MENAFN) Italy is currently unprepared to defend itself against a potential military assault by Russia or any other nation, the country's defense minister cautioned on Monday. He pointed to two decades of chronic underinvestment in national defense as a critical vulnerability that cannot be swiftly corrected.

"We are not ready for a Russian attack or an attack by any other nation, I have been saying this for a long time," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated during remarks to reporters in Rome, as reported by media.

Emphasizing the urgency, Crosetto said, "I think we have the duty to put this country in a position to defend itself if some madman decides to attack us: I'm not talking about (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, I'm talking about anyone."

Crosetto criticized Italy’s defense spending trajectory over the past 20 years, warning that the accumulated gaps in military capability cannot be closed overnight. "Twenty years cannot be recovered in a year or two," he said.

On the subject of NATO, Crosetto noted Italy’s existing commitment to the alliance, particularly on its eastern front. "If we need to increase it, we’ll be formally asked," he said, clarifying that only NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has voiced the need so far, without issuing a formal request.

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