A development with a strong geopolitical footprint shakes the foundations of NATO.
Italy "emptied" publicly and in the most official way the secretary general of the Alliance, Mark Rutte, denying that the United States used Italian bases for the attacks against Iran.
This direct conflict does not constitute a simple correction of statements, but brings to light the deep disagreements developing inside the Alliance, at the time when the crisis in the Middle East threatens to reshape the balances between Washington and European allies.
The relations between the United States and their European allies appear to be entering one of the most difficult periods of recent years, with Donald Trump concurrently sending a resounding message toward NATO, leaving open the possibility of a different American strategy toward the Alliance.
His meeting with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, in The Hague, caused intense commentary, mainly by Russian media, which claimed that the head of the Alliance attempted to appease the American president with continuous praise for his role and for the increase in the defense spending of European states.
However, according to the same narrative, Trump remained unmoved and did not hide his disappointment with the stance of many European governments.
Restrictions on the Americans
The rift with Italy is not simply about a public confrontation at the level of rhetoric between Trump and Meloni, but Italy now makes it clear that it imposes real political restrictions on the United States, clarifying that it had officially denied the use of its military bases by the US for attacks against Iran, both for past and for potential future missions.
This development had been in the making for a long time, as Italy had already clearly restricted, at least in part, the use of American bases on its territory in the previous months in relation to the war against Iran.
But now this is also officially confirmed.
What Tajani said to Araghchi
On Thursday, the Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani allegedly stated by telephone to his Iranian counterpart that he categorically rejects the recent claims of the Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte, according to which American forces used Italian military bases in the operations against Iran.
Tajani insisted that the Italian bases were never used for any kind of offensive strikes against the Islamic Republic.
According to the American military publication Stripes, "the Iranian Foreign Minister thanked Italy for the clarification and stated that a clear and official denial was necessary."
Serious rift
Italy remains, of course, a member of NATO and the fact that Rome was responding to the recent statements of the head of the Alliance is particularly indicative, as it reveals a serious internal rift within NATO.
The head of NATO had granted an interview to Fox earlier in the week, where he claimed that approximately 500 American military flights had taken off from bases in Italy in support of Operation Epic Fury.
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically rejects this claim.
In addition, the Italian Ministry of Defense stated that Rutte "has no relation to Operation Epic Fury", a fact which perhaps explains why he makes "completely misleading" statements.
"Italy approves only flights provided for by international treaties and absolutely exclude offensive military actions," the statement of the Italian Ministry of Defense reported.
Ambiguity from Rome
It appears that Italy attempts to appease concurrently both the Iranian and the American side, attempting to cover its role with ambiguity and abstract definitions: In an analysis regarding the way of using the Italian bases for the support of the war, the website ItaMilRadar reported this week that US Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones operating from the Sigonella base "carried out extensive intelligence collection and reconnaissance missions in the region of the Persian Gulf", before the operations of the Tritons were transferred, as it appears, to Jordan in April.
P-8 Poseidon naval patrol aircraft were also operating from the base before and during the war, while several were deployed to Djibouti for the support of the American naval forces in the Indian Ocean, according to the same website.
In late March, when the American-Israeli bombardments against Iran were still in progress, a statement from the office of Prime Minister Meloni had also referred to issues of procedure, stating that Italy "acts in full compliance with the applicable international agreements", underlining at the same time that every relevant request must be "examined carefully on a case-by-case basis, as was always the case in the past."
"You abandoned us", the message that set fires
In the meantime, the phrase that dominated after the meeting of Trump and Rutte was the concise but particularly sharp "You abandoned us", which is attributed to the American president referring to the stance of certain allies during the recent crisis in the Middle East.
Trump appeared particularly critical toward European countries, claiming that they did not offer the support that Washington expected in the military operations of the US.
According to publications, he expressed disappointment with the stance of Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Spain, letting it be understood that the United States need allies who will display greater political and strategic consistency.
Is Washington changing strategy?
Analysts estimate that the statements of Trump may signal a broader change in the philosophy of American foreign policy.
Instead of the traditional support for NATO as a single organization, Washington appears to be considering the strengthening of bilateral relations with countries that possess strong military capabilities and appear more willing to participate in American initiatives.
At the center of this strategy are Poland, which is spectacularly increasing its defense spending and strengthening its armed forces, but also Turkey, which possesses the second largest army in NATO after the United States.
The "5%" and the new NATO
The NATO Summit concluded with the agreement of most member-states to move toward defense spending amounting to 5% of GDP by 2035, a development which Trump characterized as his personal success.
At the same time, disagreements were not lacking, as countries such as Spain expressed reservations about the level of the new commitments, a fact which brought back to the forefront the different approaches inside the Alliance.
"NATO is no longer united"
Russian media present the latest developments as an indication of a deep crisis in NATO, claiming that the trust between Washington and European allies has been shaken.
According to this perspective, the US may gradually reduce its dependence on the collective operation of the Alliance and invest more in flexible partnerships with countries they consider strategically more reliable.
Is NATO entering a new era?
Despite the different interpretations of the events, one thing is certain: the public statements of Donald Trump brought back to the forefront the questions about the future of NATO and the balances between the United States and Europe.
Whether this constitutes a temporary political confrontation or the beginning of a deeper rearrangement of the Western alliance will appear in the coming months, as the geopolitical challenges in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific continue to test the unity of the West.
Europe is called to pay more for its defense
In the recent period the United States exert ever greater pressure on the European allies to assume a larger part of the cost for their defense. Trump has repeatedly stated that Washington cannot continue to shoulder the largest financial burden of the Alliance, demanding from the member-states to significantly increase their military spending.
The recent decisions at the NATO Summit for a gradual increase of defense spending to 5% of GDP are considered by many a result of the pressure exerted by the American side. However, several European governments express concern about whether they can respond to such high financial commitments, particularly in a period of increased fiscal pressures.
Poland and Turkey acquire an ever greater role
At the same time, Poland and Turkey appear to continuously strengthen their strategic importance for the United States.
Warsaw is investing massively in the modernization of its armed forces, acquiring modern weapon systems from the US and South Korea, while Ankara continues to constitute one of the most important military factors of the Alliance due to its geographical position and the size of its armed forces.
Several analysts estimate that Washington may rely more on such regional partners in the coming years, forming a more flexible model of cooperation instead of the exclusive dependence on the traditional large European powers.
Moscow sees a new danger at its borders
Although the public confrontation between Washington and European allies is presented by some as an indication of internal friction in NATO, the Russian side appears cautious toward this possibility. According to this specific analysis, an American shift toward closer cooperation with countries such as Poland and Turkey could lead to the creation of a more flexible and operationally effective military structure, with an increased presence near the Russian borders. According to the author, this scenario may constitute an even greater challenge for Russian security than the current structure of NATO.
The geopolitical balances are changing
These developments come in a period during which the war in Ukraine, the crisis in the Middle East and the increasing confrontation with China reshape the international balances. Within this environment, every public position of the American leadership toward its allies acquires a special weight, as it can affect both the decisions of NATO and the future security architecture in Europe.
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