Meloni: we will defend our borders, Russia and criminals will not undermine our security

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived at the Šiauliai air base in Lithuania on Sunday 22 December to visit the Italian military contingent engaged in the Nato Baltic Air Policing mission to safeguard the airspace of the Baltic Republics. She was welcomed by the Commander of Task Force Air 36th Wing Baltic Thunder II, Colonel Roberto Massarotto. Also in video connection for the festive greetings were the national contingents engaged in missions abroad in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, the Baltic States, Eastern Europe, the United States, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. "The Motherland is grateful to you. So many fill their mouths with 'peace', but peace must be guaranteed by those who are on the front line," Meloni stressed.

The stop in Lithuania follows the one in Finland. "We want to defend our external borders and we will not allow Russia or criminal organisations to undermine our security". From Saariselka, in Finnish Lapland, where she flew for the North-South summit, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni used very clear words to outline the fronts that Italy and Europe will be engaged in. 'I think we should repeat it, we know that there are many challenges that the EU is facing but there are two main issues', 'security and competitiveness that could be the idea for the next meeting,' the premier explained. Regarding the Russian threat, Meloni added, 'we have to understand that it is much bigger than we imagine: it concerns our democracies, the influence on our public opinion, what is happening in Africa, the instrumentalisation of immigration. We have to know that this is a very broad idea of security and that it is not only about what is happening on the war field in Ukraine'.

"The EU is facing great challenges. Our countries have often been considered and found on opposite sides in the EU, with the North and the so-called frugal on one side and the southern nations, accused of being 'spendthrifts', which I think is a prejudice, on the other side,' Meloni said. These nations are here now to talk about the issue of security, and this shows that we have understood that the world has changed and we cannot face the challenges if we do not understand the views and problems of others.

At the end of the summit, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas was satisfied with the outcome. "Very good discussions with Petteri Orpo, Giorgia Meloni, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ulf Kristersson in Lapland. We all agreed that Europe must do more to defend itself and prevent war. Next year we will propose ideas at EU level for more defence cooperation, more capabilities and more funding'.

Speaking to the press at the end of the summit, the Prime Minister also returned to more domestic issues, starting with the Albania dossier. "I have called a meeting on the issue for tomorrow to figure out how to proceed," she said. It seems to me, the Prime Minister added, "that the Supreme Court has given the government reason, it is the right of governments to establish which countries are safe" while judges can "enter into the individual case, not disapply in toto" the government decree.