Hegseth, Italian Counterpart Meet at Pentagon

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto during a bilateral engagement today at the Pentagon. At the meeting's outset, Hegseth expressed appreciation for Italy's growing defense leadership in Europe. "We're especially grateful for the steadfast support your government and the Italian people show in hosting U.S. forces in Italy," Hegseth told Crosetto. Italy has hosted elements of the U.S. military for more than 80 years, with the country currently accommodating roughly 30,000 U.S. service members, civilian personnel and their families. "It's a longstanding partnership, and in today's vital global landscape, our partnership is more important than ever," Hegseth said. The secretary then broached the topic of "NATO 3.0," which is centered on the strategic transition of the NATO alliance in which European member states assume primary responsibility for their own conventional defense. As an example of that transition, Hegseth pointed out that NATO allies have set a new global standard of committing 5% of their gross domestic product toward their own defense. Hegseth said such a commitment needs to be the benchmark for U.S. allies around the globe, including allies in Europe. "We see partners — and Italy's certainly one of them — … leaning forward in that aspect," Hegseth told Crosetto. He also pointed to Italy's leadership of NATO's Multinational Battlegroup in Bulgaria as proof of how Italy is leaning forward. The battlegroup is a heavily reinforced, combat-ready military formation established in 2022 to strengthen the NATO alliance's eastern flank. "We see … your leadership [in the battlegroup] and your willingness to engage in theaters where Italy has high economic and security stakes," Hegseth told his counterpart. He also mentioned the U.S. and Italy's bilateral defense industrial cooperation and how vital it is to building the strength necessary to sustain peace. "We are reinvesting in our defense industrial base and in our defense in ways that we believe show the world [not only] how important we take our own security, but collective security as well," Hegseth said. "There's more to be done to build NATO 3.0, and we look forward to working together with you," he added. During his remarks, Crosetto affirmed the importance of the U.S.-Italy alliance. "Our relationship with the United States is not only political; it's based on values, on shared history, and [on] what we have to do for the future," Crosetto said. "There is no alternative to the Atlantic relationship for us, [and] this is why our role within NATO — and also at the bilateral level — will always be side by side with the United States in accounting for … challenges," he added.