Italian Defense Minister Remarks on Ukraine’s Chances to Regain Occupied Territories
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto expressed a deep skepticism regarding Ukraine’s prospects of recapturing territories, including Crimea, lost during Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
According to him, the chances of Ukraine reclaiming these lands are extremely slim, as Russia firmly refuses to relinquish its hold, and Ukraine lacks the military capacity to retake these regions even with Western assistance.
Crosetto emphasized that President Vladimir Putin has entrenched these territories in the Russian constitution, making negotiations impossible since Moscow now regards these areas as Russian in every sense.
The minister also voiced concern over the influence of Russian propaganda in Italy and across Europe, noting that it constitutes a hybrid, cognitive war that infiltrates public consciousness through social media, sophisticated disinformation campaigns, and corrupt practices.
Furthermore, he underlined that Italy is currently unprepared for potential military escalation and called for a reassessment of NATO’s role, given the shifting global power balance, as international dynamics evolve rapidly.