NATO's Cavo Dragone calls for increased Italian responsibility

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, President of the NATO Military Committee, has stated that Italy must assume a growing share of collective responsibility within the Alliance. He emphasized that Europe is no longer in a state of full peace and highlighted the need to strengthen deterrence to make future wars avoidable.

Dragone identified a growing strategic cooperation between Russia, Iran, and North Korea as a significant threat. He specifically noted that Iran can no longer be viewed solely as a Middle Eastern issue, as it provides military capabilities to Russia for the war in Ukraine. To counter these hybrid threats, he argued that NATO must build a “network of strategic trust” to match the “network of strategic convenience” being constructed by adversaries.

Regarding Italy's role, Dragone noted that the country's increasing responsibility is recognized by NATO partners due to its contributions in the Balkans, the Mediterranean, and on the eastern flank. He stressed that defense efforts should be viewed as investments in security rather than mere spending. This includes not only military hardware but also investments in energy infrastructure, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, space, and autonomous systems to ensure capabilities are “credible, available, and interoperable.”