Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi: Because of the Ukrainian crisis, Italy is ready to deploy 3,400 military personnel in NATO countries
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced on Friday that his country is ready to deploy an additional 3,400 military personnel to member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Draghi said in an intervention in the House of Representatives that Italy is ready in a first stage to mobilize “1,400 men and women from the land, sea and air forces,” and then an additional 2,000 soldiers in a second stage.
These forces will be deployed "in the area under the responsibility of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)," he explained.
Several hundred Italian soldiers are now deployed in Lithuania and Romania.
"Italy and NATO want to send a message of unity and solidarity on the Ukrainian issue and defend the European security system," Draghi added.
"Our priority today should be to strengthen the security of our continent, and to exert the greatest pressure on Russia to withdraw its forces and return to the negotiating table," he added.
Draghi also announced the allocation of 110 million euros in aid to Ukraine for "humanitarian purposes and for the purpose of stabilizing the financial situation," as well as aid in the form of military equipment "particularly related to demining and protective supplies."
The Italian Prime Minister concluded his intervention, saying that “the European Union has given, in recent days, evidence of its determination and unity. We are ready for stricter measures if the latest measures appear to be insufficient.”
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