ITALY PERSPECTIVE

Rome responds to the Atlantic crisis through its head of state — a choice that says much about perceived gravity. President Sergio Mattarella, reported by ANSA, declares that 'citizens demand peace' and that European nations must 'contribute to building it together through shared membership in the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.' This is a message of unity that refuses to choose between the EU and NATO. A second article relays the Financial Times alert on European airports at risk of fuel shortages — a fact Mattarella does not mention but which provides the context of urgency. Italy, caught between its European ambitions and security dependence on Washington, chooses dual anchoring: EU AND NATO. It is the only voice in the pool explicitly refusing the logic of choosing between Europe and America.