The Supreme Defense Council at the Quirinale: fears of a domino effect with China on the table. Minister Guerini: 1,500 soldiers already available for NATO
The scenario that was presented to Mattarella after Russia’s attack on Ukraine is that of an escalation of the crisis. Which could expand beyond the eastern quadrant of Europe: because if it is now clear that Putin will not let go, in perspective the act of war risks fueling – like a domino effect – problems with China in the eastern quadrant. Thus the Supreme Defense Council was opened, urgently convened by the head of state in a hectic day, so full of appointments that it forced Draghi and Guerini to leave the Quirinale prematurely: the premier to fly to the extraordinary EU summit in Brussels; the holder of the Defense to participate in a confidential meeting of the Quint, which is the informal NATO directorate made up of the USA and the four major Western European countries.
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The concern expressed by Mattarella has united the members of the Supreme Defense Council, who agreed with the President of the Republic on the need to show firmness towards the unacceptable violation of international law committed by Russia, and which – written in the Quirinale communiqué – represents a real threat to global security and stability. Here is the reference to China. To face the escalation caused by Putin, unity, timeliness and determination are needed in close collaboration with the partners of the EU and the Atlantic Alliance, and effective and severe measures against Moscow. The aim is to prevent Europe from suddenly plunging into a whirlwind of wars. Dramatic passage, not surprisingly inserted in the Colle note.
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The point, in fact, is confrontation in things: now there are no more buffer countries between NATO and Russia, as it was in the past. Therefore in the analysis of the scenario submitted to Mattarella – who is head of the Armed Forces – the risk of contact was not excluded. Contact that could occur with a cyber attack against Poland, which is part of the Alliance and which in the event of aggression should be defended with a joint response from NATO countries. The state of maximum alert will require the government today to pass a Ukrainian decree which will contain a part dedicated to Defense. Yesterday Guerini anticipated that Italy will participate in the measures to strengthen the deterrence requested by NATO, including the forces in readiness: 1500 men will be placed in the availability of the Atlantic command to be sent to the border areas of the allied countries. Others will follow as soon as requested.
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It is not clear whether the part dedicated to plan B on energy will also be included in the decree, which has already been started and which was described to Mattarella: the goal is to progressively replace Russian gas with American and Qatari liquid gas. True, there is the problem of regasification plants, but in the meantime the government – as the owner of Economic Development Giorgetti said addressing the energy emergency – will aim for a rapid increase in storage capacities. And since the topic of national interest is possible, a ministerial decree will suffice.
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Thus Italy is preparing for a phase that Draghi defined as serious and not short at all and which will entail many problems for the country. An argument developed at the Supreme Defense Council by the head of the Economy Franco. The fact that there is no gas among the sanctions against Russia does not lessen the concern for the economic-financial scenario, for the impact that inflation will cause on the real economy and for the frost on the recovery. A potential crisis in the system will therefore be faced with measures that will be studied in the near future. Meanwhile, the migratory flow will have to be managed: over 230,000 Ukrainians live in Italy and in view of family reunification, the Minister of the Interior Lamorgese hopes that no one will feed controversy.
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February 25, 2022 (change February 25, 2022 | 00:18)
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