ROME – Italy has called for the creation of a new European defence alliance to safeguard the continent amid growing threats from Russia and a rising reluctance by the US to guarantee Europe’s security. The proposal, made by Italy’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, calls on the European Union’s 27 members to form an alliance with 13 other like-minded European nations that are not part of the bloc, including Britain, Norway, Turkey and Ukraine. “We must build a continental Europe of defence,” Crosetto said in an
interview with The New York Times. Although the proposal is unlikely to be implemented, Crosetto’s outreach shows how Europe is taking a more proactive approach to its defence in the wake of the war in Ukraine, following years of underinvestment in its militaries. It also highlights how seriously European leaders view US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce America’s military footprint in Europe. The idea would significantly reshape how Europe organises its collective defence, creating a new European-led structure alongside the current US-led NATO system.
Since World War II, the US has guaranteed the safety of its allies in Europe – until Trump challenged them to take greater responsibility for their own security. Crosetto first made the proposal in a letter sent in April to counterparts across the continent, as well as to EU and NATO leaders. “A credible European defence policy can no longer be confined only to the member states of the Union,” Crosetto wrote in the letter, parts of which were seen by the Times. “The security
of the continent extends beyond the confines of the EU and requires the full involvement of all partners who share vital interests and significant responsibilities,” the letter adds. “It must therefore be conceived as a truly continental project.” In the letter, Crosetto emphasised the importance of including Ukraine, which is not a member of the EU or NATO but is, he said, “destined to remain a front-line pillar of European security”. Several European leaders have called for similar measures. President Emmanuel Macron of France has
long pushed for Europe to become more militarily autonomous. The EU’s top defence official, Andrius Kubilius, has suggested that it should form its own unified army. Italy has already joined forces with France, Germany, Poland and Britain to form a new, if smaller, military partnership that does not include the US. NYTIMES
Italy, Guido Crosetto, European defence alliance, EU defence, NATO, US security, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Andrius Kubilius, Ukraine, Russia, military autonomy