Defense Minister: U.S. Will Not Withdraw from Bases in Italy

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has stated that he sees no indication of the United States intending to withdraw its forces from bases in Italy. He highlighted the significance of bilateral relations and NATO's perspective in the ongoing cooperation between the two nations.

Speaking at the U.S. Embassy in Washington, Crosetto explained that discussions about American troop reductions in Europe have been ongoing for years, referring to it as a plan for "less commitment." He characterized these potential withdrawals as assets that the U.S. could reclaim from Europe and easily replace with European capabilities.

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From the perspective of bilateral relations and NATO, cooperation with us is very important for the United States in certain respects.

Crosetto also addressed Italy's defense budget, noting that the country allocates approximately 2.01% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense. This figure meets the target set by NATO, a goal the country has achieved in recent years, despite a period where defense spending had decreased to around 1.49% of GDP.

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This is a plan they could take back from Europe and easily replace with a European one.