Meloni says Europe will have to adapt to Trump's new security strategy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that US President Donald Trump's new national security strategy has become a wake-up call for Europe and requires the continent to take greater responsibility for its own security. She said this during a speech at the Atreju political festival in Rome, organised by the Brothers of Italy party. This was reported by The Public with reference to Bloomberg.
According to Meloni, Washington is increasingly demonstrating its intention to reduce its security presence in Europe, forcing European countries to invest in defence on their own. She noted that for about 80 years, Europe has relied on the United States, considering this model to be free and unchanging, but the current situation proves otherwise.
Meloni stressed that Italy has been supporting Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale war and will continue to do so for reasons of justice, as well as to protect its own national interests and security. She emphasised that freedom has its price, but submission is much more expensive.
Commenting on Trump's statements criticising EU policies and questioning the future role of European countries in NATO, Meloni said that Europe should not accept the image of a weak and ineffective continent. In her view, Europe remains a living civilisation that does not need permission to exist.
The prime minister also dismissed speculation about an internal crisis in the government over the aid to Ukraine. She assured that the coalition, which includes the Brothers of Italy, Forza Italia and the League, will remain in place at least until the end of the parliament's term. According to her, despite the opposition's expectations, the government will not collapse.
Meloni, who took over the government in late 2022 and has been leading one of Italy's longest-running administrations in recent years, also promised to continue reforms to strengthen the powers of the prime minister and urged citizens to pay close attention to the upcoming referendum on judicial reform.
