Matteo Perego of Cremnago, Undersecretary of Defense
“In Italy, unfortunately, there is no full awareness among public opinion of the gravity of the international situation”
“I understand the sensitivity of a country like Poland, close to Russia and which had a Russian missile fly over its territory. And then Poland still bears the scars of the Soviet occupation.” The Undersecretary of Defense Matteo Perego of Cremnago, interviewed by Affaritaliani.it comments on the words of Warsaw Prime Minister Donald Tusk who spoke of wars with Russia as a “real” hypothesis.
“Poland will invest 4% of GDP in defense in 2024 and Significant rearmament serves as a deterrent posture. I don’t think it’s likely that the world is close to a global conflict and in Europe, but we certainly need to increase investments in defense.”
The undersecretary states with certainty: “We have never thought of sending Italian soldiers to Ukraine. We have a position on the eastern European flank with 3,000 men and with an air policing mission to protect the skies. A significant portion is in Bulgaria and other militaries vary position based on NATO needs. I perfectly understand the attitude of the countries bordering Russia, but Putin himself said that Russia invests around 4% in armaments and the USA 39% therefore, being pragmatic, he knows very well that NATO which is made up of 32 countries is significantly superior. It is clear that for historical reasons the Polish prime minister is more worried than the Italian prime minister.”
But Putin said that he will also strike the F-16s used in Ukraine at bases in NATO countries… “It’s part of Moscow’s narrative and propaganda. Their vulnerability was seen, they seemed impenetrable and a single ISIS cell of 4 Tajiks unfortunately caused death and violence in the Russian capital. Having suffered that intelligence breach, Putin now sends messages of force and threats to cover up his mistakes. I don’t see a danger of imminent world war, much less nuclear. But certainly if we also consider the Red Sea and the situation in Gaza, the global geopolitical picture has worsened significantly compared to a few months ago. In Italy, unfortunately, there is no full awareness among public opinion of the gravity of the international situation“.
The Pope speaks of peace every Sunday, but no one listens to him… “We are always busy and we try to open diplomatic channels but no signal in this sense arrives from Moscow. Indeed, every day Russia raises the level and intensity of attacks in Ukraine. The escalation is Russia’s fault, not the West’s. If Putin really wants dialogue, give a signal: 24 hours of ceasefire, at least this. I fully agree with the Pope, but it is Putin who doesn’t listen to him. However, Italy certainly, for the reasons I have explained, will never send soldiers to Ukraine”, concludes the Undersecretary of Defense Matteo Perego of Cremnago.