General Portolano: “To date, Italy has supplied Ukraine with weapons and equipment worth over three billion”

“The Italian Defense continues to provide support on a bilateral basis to Ukraine through the supply of military materials, vehicles and equipment authorized by the 11 interministerial decrees, for a total value of over 3 billion euros”. General reported this in an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore Luciano PortolanoChief of the Defense Staff.

“We live in an era in which the boundaries of conflicts are blurred – he adds – and attacks can hit critical infrastructures, communication networks and cybernetic systems already in peacetime. It is not a question of evoking far-fetched scenarios, but of recognising, without unnecessary alarmism, with responsibility and objectivity, that the so-called ‘defense function’ is no longer confined to the theaters of operations, but directly involves citizens, called to feel an active part of collective security. Being ready to react and support allies requires constant commitment and preparation: this is our mission.”

“The Defense approach – continues Portolano -, oriented towards multi-domain and overcoming technological asymmetries, envisages targeted investments in all sectors. The most significant item, 5.44 billion, concerns the maintenance of the operational conditions of the armed forces, the cornerstone of the sustainability of the military instrument. The objective is to rebalance the organic endowments in all sectors, in particular, in this historical moment, in that of cyber security. The recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight the need to guarantee sustainability of the conventional response, availability of armaments, readiness of forces and technological evolution”, concludes the Chief of Defense Staff.

During the night, the agreement on the weapons decree was reached in the government and in the majority, on the eve of tomorrow’s Council of Ministers called to approve the measure for the extension of the authorization for the transfer of military vehicles, materials and equipment in favor of Kiev. The agreement was reached after mediation with the League: the priority for defense aid will be specified in the text.