According to European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, who met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Thursday, Italy is crucial to the EU’s coordinated effort to provide munitions for Ukraine.
In the course of his tour of the EU’s defense industries, Breton spoke with government representatives and manufacturers in Italy. He met with Guido Crosetto, the minister of defense, and Meloni to talk about European defense and support for Ukraine, notably the pressing need to boost ammunition production.
“We must assist the war economy transition that the European defense sector is making. For the safety of Europe and Ukraine,” Breton stated.
The EU commissioner cited Italy’s “long tradition in arms production” as a vital factor in the EU’s collaborative effort to develop ammunition “destined for the security of Ukraine and Europe.”
According to the statement, “Italy holds all the cards to fully contribute to strengthening the EU’s production capabilities” in this area, putting special emphasis on the target of producing one million units annually.
The EU commissioner stated, “Together, we construct a stronger and more resilient Europe”.
REARMAMENT OF EUROPE
According to a Defence Ministry memo, Breton and Crosetto had a “long and cordial” conversation on Wednesday during which they discussed the European Peace Facility, which would serve as “a valuable financial instrument” to economically resupply nations that have provided Ukraine with military and civilian equipment during these months of the war.
Breton provided more information about the encounter with Crosetto in a video that was shared on Twitter.
“We talked about the European mobilization plan, which aims to quickly expand our capacity to produce European defense products, particularly munitions”. Breton stated in the video that Italy has an extraordinarily robust defense industrial base.
In addition to discussing the situation in Ukraine, he continued, “we also discussed how Europe as a whole should respond to attempts to destabilize the situation in what we refer to as the contested regions, particularly space and cyberspace.
ITALY TO KEEP SUPPORTING UKRAINE
Crosetto reiterated the importance of Italy’s unwavering stance in favor of Ukraine, saying that it is crucial “also because of the profound reflections that the conflict’s outcome will have on security in Europe and the entire Euro-Atlantic area.”
Italy would continue to “assist” Ukraine to end Russia’s “cowardly aggression” and to pursue a “just peace” because of this and out of respect for democratic values, the minister emphasized.
According to Crosetto, the discussions provided “an opportunity to emphasize the importance of Italy as an absolutely relevant member of the European Union.”
The minister continued by saying that by “quickly adapting to the new international context and taking concrete steps in implementing a common vision in security and defense,” the EU had shown its unity. In order to train Ukrainian military forces on European land, the Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM) is one example.
Breton visited two big military equipment firms with officials from the businesses before to his meeting with Meloni to evaluate the needs of the defense industry so that the EU may offer targeted help, perhaps through EU subsidies.
According to the European Commission, the commissioner will keep talking to the EU defense sector and visit industrial sites in the coming weeks to facilitate and speed up industrial expansion.
