Defence ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations commenced talks on Saturday, set against a backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East and the ongoing war in Ukraine, as the country faces yet another challenging winter.
Italy, currently holding the G7’s rotating presidency, organised the bloc’s first defence-focused ministerial meeting. The summit is taking place in Naples, which also hosts a NATO base. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto welcomed the attendees, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
“I believe that our presence today… sends a strong message to those who try to hinder our democratic systems,” Crosetto said in his opening remarks.
Crosetto noted that the one-day summit would devote considerable time to addressing the intensifying conflict in the Middle East. This statement followed his comments in Brussels the day before.
Other key agenda items include discussions on the war in Ukraine, development and security issues in Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.
The meeting takes place shortly after Israel announced the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the alleged architect of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which sparked a fierce retaliation in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Sinwar’s death marked “the beginning of the end” of the war against Hamas, while US President Joe Biden suggested it could lead to “a path to peace.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, meanwhile, visited Lebanon on Friday, where Israel is also engaged in conflict with Hezbollah, Hamas’s ally. Speaking in Beirut, Meloni condemned recent Israeli attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon as unacceptable. Italy contributes around 1,000 troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which involves soldiers from over 50 countries.
Regarding Ukraine, the ministers are expected to discuss the country’s outlook as it faces a third winter at war. Concerns include battlefield losses in the east and the possibility of reduced US military support if Donald Trump wins the upcoming presidential election.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, under pressure from Western allies to devise a successful strategy against Russia, unveiled a “victory plan” to the European Union and NATO on Thursday. Central to this plan is Ukraine’s push for immediate NATO membership, a move considered impractical by alliance members. The plan also calls for long-range weapons to target military sites in Russia and proposes an unspecified non-nuclear strategic deterrence package for Ukrainian territory.
The summit is also expected to address reports, based on South Korean intelligence, that North Korea is deploying a significant number of troops to support Russia’s war efforts. However, NATO Secretary-General Rutte stated on Friday that the alliance could not yet confirm these reports.
The summit is scheduled to conclude with a press conference at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT).