Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni warned on 4 May at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan that future US engagement in NATO is uncertain and said Europe must strengthen its own security capacity. [1]
Meloni said there have been discussions in the United States about a possible disengagement from Europe and said she could not say what will happen. She added: "we must strengthen our security and increase our capacity to respond". [1]
She said she would not support a US withdrawal from Italy or other European countries. Meloni also said Italy has kept up its NATO commitments, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, even when direct national interests were not at stake. [1]
The Italian leader called on the European Union to shift from reacting to crises to anticipating them and to raise its strategic response. She said the bloc can respond to emergencies but must now "raise its game" and act earlier. [1]
Meloni linked Europe's security risks to instability in neighboring regions and concerns over energy supply. She also criticized the EU's long-term strategy for focusing too narrowly on like-minded countries and said it should pay more attention to the broader Mediterranean and African regions. [1]
She warned that failure to manage major crises risks eroding public trust in democratic institutions. "When citizens perceive that major challenges are not governed, they lose trust in institutions," she said. [1]
Meloni's remarks came at the Yerevan summit on 4 May, where she laid out her case for a stronger European security role and a more proactive EU response to future crises. [1]
