ITALY PERSPECTIVE

Rome, June 18, 2026. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pulled no punches at NATO's ministerial meeting in Brussels. Calling European allies "freeloaders," he targeted mid-sized powers who "still seem to think it's the era of opportunism." He branded as "shameful" the allies' refusal to provide bases and assets for the American operation against Iran: "These allies put American sons and daughters in danger," he stated, according to ANSA.

Washington announced a review of its military presence in Europe over the next six months. More significantly, the U.S. intends to condition its annual NATO contributions on other members meeting defense spending targets. This "NATO 3.0," in Hegseth's terms, would succeed the post-Cold War period he describes as "an era of distraction, deindustrialization, demilitarization, and opportunism."

Faced with these accusations, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cited figures: Europe and Canada invested more than 90 billion dollars in additional defense spending in 2025 compared to the previous year—a roughly 20 percent increase in a single year. Washington deemed this effort insufficient.

Rome's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto adopted a grave but clear tone at the Brussels summit. He acknowledged that the Parliament-approved gradual increase plan—plus 0.15 percent of GDP this year, the same next year, then plus 0.20 percent—was "credible," but the 2026 target had not been met due to the EU deficit procedure. "I hope to recover it immediately, starting in October with the 2027 budget, but I believe there is no alternative, whatever the political majority and forces leading the country," Crosetto declared, cited by La Repubblica. He confirmed that Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti was "fully aware" of the need to honor these commitments.

This context sits within complex diplomacy between Rome and Washington. Council President Giorgia Meloni asserted at the Evian G7 that her ties with Donald Trump remained "unchanged" despite recent friction: "There have been no recriminations, we did not dwell on what happened. We are both leaders defending our national interests with determination," she said according to The Local Italy. Trump, for his part, had joked about feeling "abandoned."

Adnkronos reports that G7 leaders reaffirmed their "unwavering" support for Ukraine, pledging to increase air defense capabilities supplied to Kyiv—an additional commitment straining European budgets already under pressure. For Rome, the equation remains difficult: raise military spending in a context of budget consolidation while preserving the transatlantic link at the core of its security doctrine.