Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto had some sobering remarks on Monday. Speaking to press at the conclusion of a round-the-world voyage of the Italian Navy’s training ship Amerigo Vespucci, he flatly pointed out that Italy was in no way prepared for war. 

“We are not ready for any military attack, neither by Russia nor by any other country,” Crosetto said on Monday, urging an international peace plan to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible.

Despite people not necessarily wanting to hear about the need for any military intervention, Crosetto said that “our task is to create the conditions for our country to defend itself against a possible attack,” reports Hirado.

He also clarified that this does not pertain only to Russia, but any potential aggressor.  

“We are not ready for a Russian attack, nor for an attack by any other country. We are not capable because we have not spent on defense in the last 20 years,” he said, emphasizing that Italy cannot catch up in just one or two years. 

Italy is participating in NATO’s Eastern Sentinel defense operation with the largest contingent, 2,000 soldiers, as well as F-35 attack helicopters and Eurofighter jets.

Crosetto indicated that Italy is prepared to do more as a part of this exercise, but this requires an official invitation from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“The international situation is expected to worsen with the current way of handling crises. I hope that in the coming weeks the international community will move to accelerated action, because there is no time to waste: The current situation, if nothing changes, will worsen, with dramatic consequences for all of us,” he said. 

“We have a duty to do everything we can to reverse the course which, I believe, is currently leading unstoppably and increasingly rapidly towards an abyss,” said Crosetto.