Italian PM stresses independence security as key to Europe sovereignty

(MENAFN) Italy’s Prime Minister emphasized on Friday that Europe must develop independent security capabilities if it aims to assert itself as a major global power. She argued that the ability to defend the continent autonomously is essential for maintaining political freedom.

Speaking in a television interview about the new US national security strategy, which encourages European self-reliance, Giorgia Meloni noted that depending on external powers for defense inevitably carries costs. She described self-defense as both "an inevitable process and an opportunity" for the European Union, acknowledging the economic investment involved while highlighting the long-term gain of political autonomy.

Meloni also rejected suggestions of tension between the US and the EU, affirming that she concurs with certain observations in the US strategic document regarding European politics, which she said reflect a longstanding reality.

On Italy’s policy toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the premier reiterated that her government’s position has been consistent from the beginning: supporting Ukraine as part of efforts to foster peace. She stressed that peace is built through credible deterrence rather than goodwill alone.

Addressing the issue of Palestinian recognition, Meloni clarified that Italy is guided by a parliamentary resolution, which stipulates conditions such as Hamas’s disarmament and exclusion from any future political role in Gaza.

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