“ Italy is always determined to help Ukraine”, but on the 40 billion Kyiv fund “there are still many questions; we will already need to invest a lot of money to comply with NATO parameters and for President von der Leyen’s plan, and an overall assessment must therefore be made”. Because, as underlined by Minister Tajani, increasing expenditure to ensure defence“ is a need, as well as a duty imposed by the Constitution”. This is the reason why the Foreign Minister is sending a clear message to the Lega government allies and to Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, in particular: “He has his sacrosanct concerns about public accounts, but there are also other priorities to take into account: national security is at stake here”.
Today the EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the proposal of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas: will there be an agreement on the fund for military aid to Ukraine?
“Let us see; it seems to me that there are still several questions, from many countries. It is a proposal that needs to be explained in detail, as well as analysed and deepened. We are always committed to helping Ukraine, but we need to assess well what the costs will be, because we shall also invest many resources to adapt to NATO parameters and for President von der Leyen’s ReArm Europe plan. We have launched eleven aid packages for Ukraine and we have given all we could give. In this Foreign Affairs Council there will still be a preliminary discussion, after which we will consider what to do, but after making an overall assessment together with the Defence Minister.”
As to sending troops, however, the “no” is clear?
“I also told Marco Rubio at the G7 that we are willing to send our soldiers to Ukraine in a peacekeeping operation, but only within the framework of a UN mission. Otherwise no, we cannot. In any case, we must first achieve peace and, before that, a ceasefire. We support the US initiative, but we are still waiting for Putin’s response.”
After the call organised by Starmer, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni again emphasised the need to work with the United States: by continuing to chase President Trump, however, is there not a risk of ending up marginalised in Europe?
“We have always supported European stances, but we have also always stressed that we must continue to work with the United States. Without the USA, it is not possible to ensure the security of Europe or Ukraine. Europe must remain united and find shared and agreed positions. Then, if a country says we must send soldiers, we must not necessarily do so. We have a clear position on this. Just as we have always had a clear position on the use of the weapons we supply to Ukraine on Russian territory.”
The European Union, however, is very critical of Trump’s latest moves: the European Parliament voted a resolution precisely to condemn the rapprochement with Putin. You in Forza Italia supported it, Fratelli d’Italia abstained and the Lega was against it….
“For that matter, among the left-wing parties there is a party like the PD that has split internally and has not even been able to find a common policy line. In the European Parliament, the three majority parties voted that way because they belong to three different groups, but now you will see that there will be a united position when voting in the Italian Parliament. We support President von der Leyen’s plan because – although the comedian Maurizio Crozza makes fun of me – defence spending is something broader than weapons. National security is at stake. Article 52 of the Constitution also lays down that defending their homeland is the sacred duty of citizens. Those who talk so much about fighting illegal immigration should know that it is also thanks to our armed forces that we ensure border security…”
Are you referring to the Lega government allies?
“We have a very important defence industry. As Christine Lagarde also said, President von der Leyen’s plan can also be a way to promote our industry and thus make our economy grow. Investing in defence means making our industrial system grow and thus creating jobs. We have thriving companies, such as Fincantieri, Leonardo. There are many industries that can be converted: I am thinking for example of those which produce components for the automotive sector.”
Yet the Finance Minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, is very sceptical about President Von der Leyen’s plan because he fears a public debt explosion. Is he wrong?
Minister Giorgetti has his sacrosanct concerns, but there are also other priorities to take into account. I have appreciated his proposal to mobilise more private investment. Public accounts are important, but we cannot look at the issue only from a sectoral perspective. National security is at stake here. Moreover, since Minister Giorgetti’s party is very pro-Trump, let us not forget that it is precisely the Americans who are asking us to spend more on defence… “.
Speaking of the United States, was the European Commission right to respond with counter-tariffs on 26 billion Euros worth of American goods?
“Trade is an exclusive competence of the European Commission and it seems to me that President von der Leyen is taking action very well, with caution. We have sent a technical mission to Washington to work with the Americans and the European Commission because we need to negotiate, exchange our views and talk to each other. Trade wars are not good for anyone. We need to hold our nerve, and avoid scaremongering.”
Last Saturday 50,000 people took to the streets of Rome with EU flags: what effect did that have on you, as a former President of the European Parliament?
« It was a partisan demonstration, organised by a newspaper that is against the government (La Repubblica, ed.) and joined by all those in opposition. The EU flags were used to say “Europe is us”, but that is not the case. We of Forza Italia are in the European People’s Party, which is the first pro-European party. The European spirit is that of De Gasperi, Schuman and Adenauer, while they only spoke of Altiero Spinelli. There was a great instrumentalisation.”