Italian PM urges NATO to rethink modern warfare priorities

Italy will increase its official defence budget this year, but NATO allies must reassess military priorities as warfare is increasingly shaped by drones, satellites, and data, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on June 11.

Addressing parliament, Meloni said she would inform a NATO summit in July that Italy plans to spend about 2.8% of national output on defence and security in 2026, an increase of around 0.71 percentage points compared to last year, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

She noted that much of the rise would come from expenditures linked to domestic security, including police-related functions, as Italy makes use of NATO accounting rules that allow certain categories of spending to be included in defence budgets.

However, Meloni cautioned against focusing solely on headline spending figures, arguing that the nature of warfare has fundamentally changed, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Pointing to Ukraine, Meloni said the frontline was blocked and swarming with drones.

"Nothing moves because of this, and we have seen tanks costing millions of euros destroyed by drones that cost on average €20,000," Meloni said.

She also urged NATO allies to rethink traditional military investments in light of emerging technologies.

She said Western allies needed to assess "the value of a well-positioned satellite compared with a well-positioned tank or a well-positioned aircraft carrier," adding that data had to be defended strategically.

"There ‌are ⁠countries that, rather than recruiting soldiers, are training kids who are used to playing PlayStation, preparing those kids to pilot drones remotely in a possible war," she said. "This is a debate the West must have."

Meloni is expected to present Italy’s updated defence commitments at the upcoming NATO summit in July, as alliance members continue discussions over burden-sharing and military modernisation priorities.

By Sabina Mammadli