Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto warned on Thursday that Russia could develop the capability to pose a military threat to NATO territory within the next five years.
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Speaking before the Italian parliament, Crosetto presented an overview of last week's NATO summit, where member states agreed to increase defense and security spending.
“The allies expressed shared concern over the growing threat from Russia. There are no signs that Russian production is shifting toward civilian purposes, even in the event of a ceasefire,” Crosetto stated.
He also noted that public support within Russia for the war on Ukraine, which began in 2022, remains intact.
Without citing specific sources, Crosetto claimed that Russia has lost over one million soldiers, including 200,000 in the first half of this year alone.
“Despite these losses, Russia managed to mobilize an additional 300,000 troops in six months, with no decline in domestic support for the war,” he added.
Regarding NATO members' recent commitments to increase defense spending as a percentage of GDP, Crosetto clarified that Italy has already allocated funds in its national budget. He stressed, confirming previous reports by Reuters, that this funding will not come at the expense of the healthcare or pension systems.
