Meloni meets NATO chief before defence summit

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Rome on Thursday in preparation for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague later this month, where defence spending will be a key focus.

According to Meloni’s office, the leaders engaged in an in-depth discussion on collective security spending and the development of a more innovative and competitive defense industry in cooperation with the European Union.

During the meeting, both leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and emphasized the Atlantic Alliance’s vital role as a pillar of collective defence, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive approach to Euro-Atlantic security.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the NATO summit in June, where his calls for European allies to increase defence budgets will dominate the agenda.

Trump has long criticized NATO members for not contributing their fair share to security costs. This summit will mark his first meeting with the alliance since returning to power.

Italy currently ranks among NATO members with the lowest defence spending, allocating less than 1.5% of its GDP to defence in 2024, well below the alliance’s 2% target.

Rome has pledged to meet the 2% target this year, while Rutte has proposed a split target of 3.5% for core defence capabilities and an additional 1.5% for related areas like cybersecurity and infrastructure.

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