Italian
The NATO 2026 summit has concluded in Ankara, a two-day event that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described as “brief but intense,” marked by the worsening crisis in Iran and discussions on future support for Ukraine
ANKARA. In the press conference on Wednesday, Meloni outlined the results of Italy’s participation in the summit, addressing the issues of defense spending, critical raw materials, the Strait of Hormuz, and relations with the Trump administration.
The message of the summit: a united Alliance
According to Meloni, the most important signal that emerged from Ankara is that of “a united alliance, aware of the challenges it faces, determined to strengthen itself.” Italy, she said, has brought to the table an idea of security that goes beyond traditional defense, including the protection of critical infrastructure, energy security, cybersecurity, the resilience of supply chains, and the capacity to respond to emergencies — from railway sabotage to border protection.
Defense spending: 2.8% of GDP
Meloni recalled that Italy presented itself at the summit with a defense and security spending of 2.8% of GDP, an increase of 0.71% compared to the previous year. She claimed a “sustainable” approach, with timelines and priorities set independently by the Italian Government. She also emphasized that Italy’s contribution to NATO is not measured solely in accounting terms: nearly 3,000 Italian soldiers are engaged in the main theaters of the Alliance, the highest number among all member countries.
A section was dedicated to the quality, as well as the quantity, of spending: Meloni noted that the war in Ukraine has shown how a tank worth millions of euros can be destroyed by a drone costing 20,000 euros, and raised the issue of dependence on critical raw materials — six of the twelve identified by NATO as strategic are controlled by a single country, in some cases up to 70% of global production. Hence the call to invest in the European industrial and technological base: “If we invest in our defense, that money must stay in Italy, in our factories, in our research, in our territories.”
Ukraine: support confirmed, but methods still to be defined
When questioned about the NATO package of 70 billion euros annually for arms and equipment for Ukraine, Meloni clarified that Italy is evaluating the most effective tools to continue its support, without excluding or confirming direct participation in that fund. She reiterated that the Italian contribution will continue, with a particular focus on Ukraine’s energy resilience — explicitly requested by Kiev, given that some Italian companies produce the necessary generators for the country. The bilateral meeting with Zelensky in the morning, she said, “went very well.” Regarding Italy’s participation in the upcoming events — the Summit of the Willing on Monday in Paris and the French national holiday on Tuesday — Meloni announced that she will be represented by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, while President Mattarella will be present at the celebrations on July 14.
Iran and the Middle East
Regarding the ongoing crisis in Iran, Meloni expressed that she is “very concerned” about the risk of contagion to other areas of the region, reiterating that she has not lost hope for a negotiated solution: “So far, the military option has not yielded such concrete results.” She confirmed that Italy will not participate in attacks against Iran, maintaining the stance adopted since the beginning of the conflict. She also welcomed the news of a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon, scheduled in Rome for July 15 and 16, describing it as a recognition of the Italian credibility built also thanks to the UNIFIL mission.
Relations with Trump
When asked about a recent post by Donald Trump perceived as critical of Italy, Meloni replied that she did not want to revisit the topic, reiterating that she does not regret the political investment made in the unity of the West, defining it as the result of a “strategy driven by conviction, not electoral convenience.” She also ruled out that there was any discussion at the summit about a possible reduction of American troops in Europe or the Greenland issue, while not excluding in principle a future rebalancing of the US presence on the continent within the framework of the so-called “burden shifting” between the two sides of the Atlantic.
South Side and Mattei Floor
Meloni finally claimed the attention given to the Southern flank of the Alliance, emphasizing that today’s hybrid threats — from migration to supply chain control — do not only come from the eastern front. She linked the issue to cooperation with Africa for access to critical raw materials, as part of the Mattei Plan, asking for the same attention for the Mediterranean that has so far been guaranteed to the Eastern European flank.
The conference concluded with a thank you to Turkish President Erdoğan for the hospitality of the summit and with a bilateral meeting dedicated to Italian-Turkish cooperation, from defense to combating illegal immigration.
