Crosetto: 'We are unprepared for a Russian attack'. Minister slows down on sending two fighter jets to Nato's eastern flank

Italy is preparing to take part in Operation Eastern Sentinel, but Minister Crosetto puts the brakes on the news of sending two Eurofighter fighters to the eastern front of NATO's European borders. The news had been confirmed by government sources, but the Ministry of Defence denies it: 'At the moment, as the Minister of Defence has already stated, no official request has yet been received by the Ministry and therefore no decision has been taken in this sense'.

Any assessments of the national contribution to NATO missions are, in fact, examined,' the Defence Ministry communiqué continues, 'exclusively in the competent Atlantic Alliance fora and subsequently submitted, as is the practice, for approval by the Italian institutional bodies.

The issue of contingent reinforcement within the framework of Operation Eastern Sentinel is reportedly to be discussed at a meeting of the Atlantic Council on 16 September. Then it will be up to the individual states to formalise their respective decisions at a meeting between the NATO command and the Alliance members expected in the coming days. The agenda of the Atlantic Council will also address the newly established Eastern Sentry mission. The military authorities will give an update. SHAPE - the Military Headquarters - in a note let it be known that "Italy and Sweden have indicated they would like to join" the contributing countries.

"We are not ready for either a Russian attack or an attack by another country, I have been saying this for a long time. I think we have the task of putting this country in a position to defend itself if some madman decides to attack us: I'm not saying Putin, I'm saying anyone'. So said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, replying to reporters on the sidelines of the presentation in Rome of the balance sheet of the Vespucci world tour. "We are not because we have not invested more in defence in the last twenty years and therefore the twenty years are not recovered in one year or two years."

The minister added: 'We are one of the top contributors in NATO on the east flank. But we also have the south flank, so I believe that the contribution made so far on the east flank is enough. If we should then increase it, we will be formally asked: on this to date I have only seen a statement by Rutte, but not a formal request to Italy. If we are asked we will decide'.