European defense should extend beyond EU borders, says Italian defense chief

European defense should not be limited to the borders of the EU but should instead take on a truly continental dimension through partnerships with countries including Türkiye, the UK and Ukraine, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.

In comments to the Italian daily La Stampa published Saturday, Crosetto addressed signals that the US could reduce its engagement in Europe, saying the continent can only “hope” Washington’s shift in strategic focus toward the Indo-Pacific happens “gradually” rather than abruptly.

The response, looking ahead, must be a strengthening of defense “not limited to the EU’s borders alone,” he said.

Partnerships should extend “with the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Moldova, the Western Balkans, Türkiye, and Ukraine.”

Calling NATO “too exposed to Trump’s volatile mood,” he said a fresh European alliance that complements NATO in its most traditional form was the need of time.

Crosetto urged governments to plan beyond 10 or 15 years, while calling for the establishment of a center at both national and European levels to address hybrid warfare.