Strait Bridge, US: 'No among defence spending'. MIT: "No NATO funds planned".

The US does not approve of creative accounting by EU allies to meet the Nato spending target, "thus putting Italy on notice as the government considers whether to count the bridge over the Straits as military spending". Bloomberg writes this, citing an interview with US ambassador to Nato Matthew Whitaker. "I've also had conversations today with a number of countries that are taking a very broad view of defence spending" and it is "very important" that the 5% target refers specifically to defence and related spending and that the commitment is "firmly made". "I am following this very closely," Whitaker added. Closely, the MIT clarified in a note: "The work is already financed, there are no NATO funds.

Along with the other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Italy pledged to increase defence spending to five per cent of GDP, fulfilling a request by US President Donald Trump at the June summit in The Hague. The idea that a €13.5bn ($15.7bn) project linking Sicily to the Italian mainland could be financed by classifying it as defence-related attracted attention.

Not so fast, warns the US. "I've had conversations even today with some countries that are taking a very broad view of defence-related spending," US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in an interview at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia on Tuesday, 2 September. It was "very important" that the 5% target referred specifically to defence and defence-related spending and that the commitment was taken "seriously", according to the envoy. "It was not about bridges that have no strategic military value," he said. "It was not about schools that somehow, in some imaginary fantasy world, would be used for some other military reason."

Asked specifically whether the bridge over the Straits of Messina falls into the category of legitimate military expenditure, Whitaker was clear. "I have been watching the situation very carefully," he said. "The good thing about this moment at Nato compared to the 2014 Wales summit is that we have monitoring mechanisms." Several Italian officials and politicians considered the possibility of classifying the bridge as a military asset that could therefore be counted in Nato spending. One of the arguments was that Sicily hosts a number of key military bases, including those used by Atlantic Alliance forces. A government document in April described the bridge as 'of strategic importance' for 'national and international security' and stated that it 'will play a key role in a defence and security context, facilitating the movement of Italian and allied armed forces'. There is still no final decision and the idea has been discussed at ministerial level, between the Treasury, the Ministry of Defence and the body responsible for infrastructure.

Bloomberg recalls that Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who also oversees transport and led the effort to build the bridge, left all options open. "It could be dual use, so that there could be multiple use also for security reasons," he told reporters at a press conference last month. But the US, Bloomberg notes, is looking for evidence that its allies are spending on battalions, artillery, and tanks - items needed to fight - and not on extravagant engineering feats.