Milan, January 31 (LaPresse) – “Don’t you find it paradoxical that those who constantly complain about relations with the United States, who tear their hair out over the presence of U.S. security personnel during the Olympics — as always happens in such events with various allied countries — then ask the United States to continue taking care of our defense? I believe this confusion is one of our main problems.” This is what Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in an interview with Il Foglio’s director, Claudio Cerasa, in response to a question about what could be done to try to convince Trump that defending Europe from external enemies is also in America’s interest.
“Look, Director, even before convincing the Americans, I think we should convince ourselves, because I fear that this awareness is still very limited. For a long time, Europe has neglected its own security, and over time it even came to be thought that no external danger existed from which to defend ourselves. This is not a coincidence. In fact, a large part of the Italian and European left still supports, even today in the current context, the idea that spending on security and defense is useless. Unfortunately, reality is very different from what the left would like,” Meloni stated.
“We live in an era where instability and uncertainty have become the norm, and it is our duty to act accordingly. It would be disastrous for our peoples and our democracies to bury our heads in the sand and pretend the problem does not exist. When we complain that the Americans want to reduce their presence, and therefore their influence, in Europe, what exactly are we saying? That we want to continue delegating our responsibilities as sovereign nations to them?” she continued.
The Prime Minister then added, “Moreover, I have always defended the unity of the West in our relations with the United States. I am convinced that only a strong and cohesive West can face the global challenges of our era, and this applies as much to Europeans as to Americans.”