A turning point in the skies. Crosetto speaks

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has no doubts: what happened on Tuesday in Lithuania marks a new phase for NATO and for Italy too. Two Italian Air Force Eurofighters, deployed in Šiauliai with the Baltic Thunder III task force, took off following the violation of Lithuanian airspace and neutralised the drone. No longer merely surveillance of the skies, then, but active defence of the Alliance’s territory. “Italy has once again demonstrated that it is up to the task of the new challenge that NATO presents to us,” Crosetto told Il Foglio. “We are facing a momentous turning point: it is no longer just a matter of monitoring and defending the skies, but of being ready, when necessary, to neutralise threats.” For the minister, the incident demonstrates one thing above all: “The threat is real; it is neither a fabrication nor a propaganda ploy: Russia’s aggressive and provocative stance is a reality which the Alliance – and therefore Italy too – will, unfortunately, have to contend with.”