"We must build a defense for the European continent itself," Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview with US media on 5/6.

Crosetto urged the 27 European Union (EU) member states and 13 other countries on the continent, including the United Kingdom, Norway, Turkey, and Ukraine, to form a new military alliance.

Crosetto emphasized that the new alliance should be based on the principle of "voluntary participation." He affirmed that this is not a substitute for NATO but a mechanism to "strengthen the European pillar" within NATO.

He also suggested that NATO should expand its membership beyond Europe and North America to include countries like Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, and South Korea, stating that the world has changed.

"NATO was founded to provide safety and stability for one part of the world. Now we need an organization that can provide safety and stability for the entire world. The alliance cannot remain a club of developed nations," he said.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto at a press conference in Berlin, Germany in november 2025. Photo: *AFP*.

The proposal to establish a new military alliance in Europe is unlikely to be implemented in the near future, but it indicates that the continent is becoming more proactive in strengthening its defense capabilities following the war in Ukraine and years of inadequate military investment.

The proposal also reflects the seriousness with which European leaders view US President Donald Trump's repeated criticisms of Europe and his orders to reduce military presence there.

This idea would significantly alter how Europe organizes its collective defense system, by forming a European-led defense structure parallel to the current US-centric NATO alliance.

Since World War II, the US has always been the security guarantor for its European allies, until Trump demanded they take on more responsibility.

Crosetto first presented this proposal in a letter to European defense ministers and EU and NATO leaders in april. The Italian Defense Minister stressed that Europe's security extends beyond EU borders and requires the full participation of all partners sharing strategic interests and responsibilities. According to him, this must be a "truly continental project."

Bulgarian, US, and Romanian special forces conducting exercises near Sofia, Bulgaria in march 2024. Photo: *US Army*.

In the letter, he also noted the role of Ukraine, currently not an EU or NATO member, arguing that the nation will continue to be a "key frontline for European security."

Several other European leaders have also put forward similar ideas. French President Emmanuel Macron has long advocated for the concept of "strategic autonomy" for Europe in the military domain. Meanwhile, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius once proposed forming a unified European army.

In 1/2024, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani suggested that European countries need to establish a common military force to maintain peace and prevent conflict. "If we want to be peacemakers in the world, we need a European army. This is a fundamental prerequisite for building an effective European foreign policy," Tajani stated.

Locations of NATO member countries and their year of accession. Graphic: *NWEGEO*.

According to Tajani, the EU, consisting of 27 nations, should streamline the alliance's leadership structure and have a single president, instead of the current structure with a president of the European Council and a president of the European Commission.

Italy is also collaborating with France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom to form a new, smaller-scale military cooperation mechanism without US involvement.

Huyen Le (According to NY Times, Reuters)