NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is in Washington this week to discuss military spending and the European position on the crisis, two weeks before the crucial Alliance summit in Ankara. But his first comments, before meeting this afternoon with the president of the United States behind closed doors at the White House, have fueled the controversy even more. In response to Rome’s refusal to allow the use of its bases for that war, the Dutchman assured in an interview with Fox News that 500 US military flights took off from those bases to participate in the conflict.
In the interview, journalist Brett Baier asked him about the refusal of several European countries to participate in the conflict or allow the use of their bases to do so—Spain and Italy, in particular—alluding specifically to the case of Rome. To which Rutte replied: “I completely understand the disappointment [de Trump]but (…) 500 US military planes took off from bases in Italy to support the operation Epic Fury“, the military nickname of the war. “It’s something huge,” he stressed.
With his statements, Rutte wanted to send the message that . And, with this, appease Trump – an avid viewer of Fox News – and his Administration just when the president has resumed his complaints about what he considers a lack of help from the Europeans during the war. Both he and the Pentagon intend to . But his words sparked an angry Italian protest.
“Falace”
Italy—where the conflict in Iran is enormously unpopular—has immediately denied Rutte’s words, calling his version “fallacious.” “It is surprising that the secretary general, who has nothing to do with the operation Epic Furyoffers a reconstruction that transmits a totally fallacious message by confusing the type of authorized flights,” the Italian Ministry of Defense has indicated.
Italy “has always acted in full respect of the Constitution, international treaties and parliamentary guidelines”, without allowing under any circumstances offensive or combat activities outside its current regulations, the Italian Executive insists in a statement that refers to the statement before Parliament of the person in charge of this portfolio, Guido Crosetto, who had assured that only “activities of a technical and logistical nature, not combat, were authorized within the framework of the procedures provided for in the current agreements.” Washington has more than 12,600 soldiers deployed in its four military bases on Italian soil: Vicenza, Aviano, Naples and Sicily.
Denial of use
In March, Rome denied the use of the Sigonella base, on the island of Sicily, for American flights related to the war in Iran, determining that they were neither technical nor logistical activities as required by the treaties. Any use of those facilities, according to the Meloni Government, is determined “on a case-by-case basis.”
Faced with the new focus of controversy that was opening up within it, NATO has been quick to declare that Rutte was only referring to the flights provided for in bilateral agreements and not to combat operations. “The Secretary General highlighted how allies, including Italy, applied their existing bilateral agreements in the context of the use of bases and overflights. The type of support he referred to is related to logistics or technical support,” detailed Alliance spokesperson Allison Hart.
Rutte’s words, however, have rubbed salt into the wound. Trump and Meloni, solid allies until then, distanced themselves as a result of the refusal of the leader of the Brothers of Italy to allow the use of her bases for the war in the Middle East. Although the two seemed to reconcile, in a brief telephone interview Trump attacked the prime minister, stating that she had “begged” him to take a selfie together at that meeting and brought up the issue of the bases again. To which Meloni replied that neither she nor Italy “ever beg,” while remembering that hers is a sovereign country.
Trump again attacked European allies on Monday, particularly Germany and Italy, whom he accused of “very bad” behavior. “They say: ‘No, we prefer not to help’. It’s stupid to say that, because we can also say it to them, and maybe we will,” he repeated after insisting on his usual complaints about what constitutes NATO, in his particular vision: that Washington allocates hundreds of millions a year to protect Europe from Russia, but the allies do not reciprocate even in the slightest.
In response to this supposed European passivity, the Pentagon announced in May that within six months. The United States is also carrying out a broader review of its military presence and bases on the continent, arguing that it wants to reinforce itself in other areas. Among them, Asia-Pacific.
During his visit to Washington, Rutte plans, in addition to his meeting with Trump, to meet with American legislators this Thursday and give a speech at a think tank of the capital. His visit coincides with a meeting of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland in Berlin to prepare for the Atlantic Alliance summit and discuss a possible future dialogue with Russia on peace in Ukraine.
