Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni argued that Europe should assume greater responsibility for its security and strengthen its own defense capabilities. Meloni said that leaving the continent’s security in the hands of another actor for an extended period had carried a political and strategic cost.
In December 2025, Meloni said that Europe should be able to defend itself. However, she said she did not consider it realistic for Europe to do so entirely outside NATO and the transatlantic framework.
Meloni’s approach addresses strengthening European defense and preserving security ties with the United States and NATO together. Europe’s dependence on the United States in defense, defense spending within NATO, the war in Ukraine and Washington’s calls for European countries to provide greater financial and military contributions are the main issues in the debate.
Throughout 2025, Meloni said relations between Europe and the United States and the Western alliance should be preserved. During the debates on European defense in March 2025, she also maintained her position that Europe should develop its own defense capabilities.
Meloni’s position was also assessed in terms of relations with Washington, as she has emerged as one of the European leaders to establish a close political relationship with the Trump administration. A joint statement outlining the strengthening of the strategic alliance between the United States and Italy in security, economic and technological areas shows that Meloni’s official position is based less on a break and more on preserving the alliance while increasing Europe’s responsibility.
There is no verified official speech transcript or direct video recording showing that Meloni herself said the phrases attributed to her, “We are nobody’s servants” and “It is better than being a puppet of the United States.” The assessment should therefore be limited to the security and defense messages that can be verified, and these harsh statements should not be used as definitive quotations.
