Trump and the meme about Meloni: "We need a restraining order." The anger of Palazzo Chigi: "It's a provocation, we won't react."
The attack comes on the eve of the delicate Ankara summit: Europe must demonstrate to the US that it is ready to increase its defense investments.Per restare aggiornato entra nel nostro canale Whatsapp
US President Donald Trump launched a new attack against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. While his allies are working to present themselves united to Ankara and convince Washington that Europe is ready to increase defense investment , the tycoon posted a meme on Truth featuring the Prime Minister looking at him, accompanied by the caption: "We need a restraining order."
"We will not react to this provocation," was the first reaction from Palazzo Chigi.
The Ankara Summit
The apprehension is palpable: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, along with the Alliance's sherpas, has done everything possible to craft a Trump-proof summit. But if the tycoon were to (again) derail, we could enter a phase that some within NATO are quick to call "dangerous."
The summit's choreography has been carefully planned. Tomorrow, in Ankara, before the leaders' arrival, a major transatlantic defense industry forum will be held, during which contracts, agreements, and cooperation worth billions of euros will be announced: one of the events organized partly to capture Trump's attention. This will be followed by a dinner at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's presidential palace. The Alliance's 32 heads of state and government will be alone, without ambassadors or advisors, accompanied by their spouses and guests, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. At the same time, the foreign and defense ministers' dinners will be held, to which the Gulf countries and Asian partners—Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand—have been invited, respectively.
The actual summit will take place on Wednesday: a meeting of the North Atlantic Council expected to last a maximum of two or three hours, precisely to minimize the risk of diplomatic incidents. This is also why some would like to abolish the Alliance's traditional annual meeting, a position supported primarily by the United States, but not only. The 2027 edition, scheduled for Tirana, is already in jeopardy, partly because Albania is among the countries that have not yet reached the 2% target of spending on defense.
"A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO"
But what does the slogan "A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO" actually mean? "There's now a deep-seated awareness that, if Russia were to actually attack, we'd have to fend for ourselves," explains a senior Allied diplomatic source. "It's difficult, but it's possible. It takes commitment and time, because we're not ready now. Unfortunately, the transition will be chaotic, because the Trump administration isn't capable of proceeding otherwise," he adds.
According to this interpretation, a new NATO should be taking shape in Ankara. The country destined to lead this phase would be Germany, intending to raise core defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2029, thanks to an unprecedented budgetary effort. Alongside Berlin, Poland's role is also growing, joining the traditional European security leaders, France and the United Kingdom. With Italy, it forms the so-called E5, destined to represent the potential leadership of the new Alliance.
According to ANSA, Berlin is focusing on Italy to counterbalance France's influence. Ukraine's role will also become increasingly central, with Ankara urging it to recognize it as a "security provider" for Europe. Ukraine's defense industry has become a key component of European rearmament strategies, and Kiev intends to use this role to negotiate faster integration into the European Union and, ultimately, NATO.
The unknown factor, however, remains Donald Trump. "The summit was constructed to go smoothly; we'll see what Trump will say or do," commented Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. If the American president were to return to attacking NATO or criticizing its allies over Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, the final message could be negative, potentially benefiting Russia and China. According to allied intelligence, Moscow could even interpret any divisions as an opportunity for further provocations on Alliance soil. "My hope? A really boring summit," concluded a senior allied diplomat. "Like the ones we used to have."
(Unioneonline/D)