“Trump? Election campaign words. Defense, we will reach 2% of GDP”

“NATO is today the best defense instrument that the West has and if anything it should be strengthened at the same time as the common European defense project”

“We are used to the heated tones of the US electoral campaign and an increasingly strong clash is expected. So I frame these words in the context of the electoral campaign for the presidential vote in November. We will then see what the attitude and posture of the elected US president will be , whether Donald Trump, Joe Biden or anyone else.” With these words the undersecretary of Defense Matteo Perego of Cremnagointerviewed by Affaritaliani.itcomments on Trump's words which caused a lot of outcry throughout the world (“I would invite Putin to attack non-compliant NATO countries”).

“These statements don't worry me too much,” explains the undersecretary. “In this historical phase for global security, we need to strengthen the bond between the USA, NATO and Europe, and therefore also Italy. We have always supported our financial commitments in the defense sector. Today we are at 1.58% of GDP and therefore below the 2% requested by NATO but within the Atlantic Alliance the financial parameters do not say everything. Italy participates with qualified personnel in many missions abroad. A country's commitment must be read from a systemic perspective and not just a financial one. For example, if a small country invests 2% of its GDP in defense, I wonder what value it has compared to our international commitment on many fronts.”

Perego of Cremnago assures that “we will reach the goal of 2% of GDP in defense spending, this is the goal. But today we are talking not only about Defense in the traditional domains and therefore of the sky, the earth and the sea but also of two “new” ones such as space and cyber. Without forgetting the underwater environment. Technological advancement changes scenarios and everything cannot be interpreted only in a numerical and financial perspective.”

“Trump's statements are certainly not acceptable but they were uttered by those running in the election campaign. A long campaign with increasingly heated tones on both sides. I would be concerned if those words were uttered by those in government positions. We just expanded NATO to Sweden as well as Finland and now we diminish it? NATO is today the best defense instrument that the West has and if anything it should be strengthened at the same time as the common European defense project of which the first glimmers can be seen with the “aspides” mission in the Red Sea”, concludes Undersecretary Matteo Perego of Cremnago.