Italy's Defense Minister Guido Krozetto stated that Russia has retained potential for direct military confrontation with NATO countries for the next five years. He stated this during a speech before the parliamentary committee, summarizing the decision of the recent Alliance summit in Vilnius, where the leaders of the countries agreed to further increase defense expenditures.
"We see zero of the signs that the Russian industry directs production for civilian needs, even if the fire was temporarily ceased," - stressed sergence, paying attention to Moscow's constant readiness for military mobilization.
Sergeatto assured that Italy has already made appropriate adjustments into the state budget to fulfill NATO's obligations to bring military expenditures up to 2% of GDP or more, and not to cut health care funding or pension programs.
"We have found a balance: we modernize the army, maintaining social sustainability," the minister said.
According to series, despite millions of combat losses - more than 200 thousand only in the first half of a year - in Russia it was possible to mobilize an additional 300,000 people "without any breakdown of internal consensus". This testifies to the deep support of the war among the general population and the stability of the regime.
The Secretary General of Alliance Mark Rutte, also in his speeches after the summit, sharply criticized the position of the Russian delegation in negotiations with Ukraine. Instead of "construct" the Kremlin sends messages about historical land claims, and the head of the delegation Vladimir Medinsky has lectures from the XVIII century - Rutte emphasized.
"We do not need historical debates, but real arrangements for ceasefire," he said.
As a result, the vision of the Italian minister and the NATO Secretary General look complementary: on the one hand, the ancient Alliance is preparing for long -term counteraction to active threats from the East; On the other hand, it presses political and diplomatic means on Moscow. However, today, European countries have faced the challenge: not to allow a new escalation and to maintain their inner sustainability as their own military budgets are growing.
