Crosetto: 'On defence spending the time for sweet talk is over, times have changed'

Il messaggio è chiaro. In una fase in cui le crisi si sviluppano con grande rapidità sullo scacchiere internazionale, dall’Ucraina, al Medio Oriente, all’America latina, all’Africa, la Difesa acquisisce sempre più un ruolo di primo piano . Ecco perché serve, e va realizzato in tempi stretti, un cambiamento culturale, che guardi alle spese e agli investimenti in questo settore non come qualcosa sottrae risorse ai cittadini, ma come qualcosa che ne garantisce la sicurezza. «Le forze armate sono sempre divise, ognuno con la propria caratteristica, ma danno il meglio quando sono insieme. Questo calendario è un messaggio di per sè: è un esempio della Difesa come forza unica al servizio del Paese. Difesa, oggi, vuol dire prepararsi in modo serio a difendere il paese», ha ricordato il Ministro della Difesa Guido Crosetto nel corso della presentazione del calendario della Difesa, nella mattinata di lunedì 3 novembre, presso la Biblioteca militare centrale di Palazzo Esercito a Roma. Di qui, l

A calendar that, on the eve of the Day of National Unity and the Armed Forces, unites all the armed forces immortalised by the lens of photographer Massimo Sestini: 'Defence,' Crosetto reiterated, 'has the task of programming itself to face any scenario: we are not yet up to the task and other players decide the timing. Some people think that investing in defence is a bureaucratic matter because NATO asks us to do so. It is total stupidity! We must start from the shortcomings that we have and make up for a large gap as quickly as possible. The increase in defence spending is not an element of political debate, but a necessity. In times like these it is a prerequisite' so that 'there can be peace in Italy' and 'if in five years we think that the world has changed for the better, then we will disinvest.

The meeting was attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, Luciano Portolano. The general emphasised what he saw as the message associated with this initiative: 'The identity of the Armed Forces. It is about images with an eye to the past and at the same time an eye to the future. The Armed Forces are the most important instrument in the application of the concept of security. Today, the need is to operate in the multi-domain: a system in which new forms of combat, introduced by new technologies, are mixed with traditional schemes'.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Defence Minister also spoke about Ukraine. "As far as Ukraine is concerned," he emphasised, "our line does not change. We continue to help Kiev with what we can. Probably yes, we will build a new package that I will present shortly in the manner of the other packages. This is the twelfth aid package to Kiev. "As for the Patriots sent by Germany, this country has them and can send them. We have sent everything we had - the aid is secret - without weakening Italian defence any more than it already is," Crosetto continued. "It

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