Russia’s increasingly aggressive posture is making the need for NATO and collective security even clearer — and putting a stronger European pillar within the Alliance into sharper focus.
Why it matters: That is the assessment of Emanuele Loperfido, a Brothers of Italy MP and member of the Italian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), speaking to Decode39 after Germany accused Russia over the events in Leipzig on Aug. 4.
- As Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stressed, Loperfido said, the security of Italy’s allies is also Italy’s security.
Q: Does the German foreign minister’s decision to close the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian House mark a decisive turning point in relations with Moscow?
A: It certainly marks a very serious escalation, one that should make Europe more aware of the risks posed by hybrid warfare.
- The most serious aspect is that Berlin is attributing a hybrid attack on its own territory to Russia, based on the findings of its investigations and intelligence services.
- The response must be firm, proportionate and united: as Giorgia Meloni has said, the security of our allies is the security of us all.
Q: Ursula von der Leyen expressed full solidarity with Germany and announced a joint response. What could that response look like?
A: The details will have to be worked out, but the direction is clear: greater pressure on Russia, new sanctions, action against the shadow fleet, and stronger cooperation on intelligence, cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructure.
- Hybrid threats are designed to strike below the threshold of open conflict. That is why the EU and NATO response must be coordinated and credible.
Q: Could Russia’s escalation in Europe ultimately bring NATO back together?
A: “Ultimately” may be too strong a word, because there will continue to be different views among 32 allies. But paradoxically, Russia’s aggression is making the need for NATO and collective security even clearer.
- And in this new phase, the EU needs to play an active role, taking on greater responsibilities within the Alliance and building a stronger European pillar in military, technological and industrial terms.
Q: Antonio Tajani has warned about possible Russian interference in Italy’s upcoming elections. Is he right?
A: It is responsible to put the risk on the table and, above all, to call for measures to prevent it. Interference can take the form of cyberattacks, disinformation and manipulation of the information space.
- As an OSCE election observer, I believe interference has become an increasingly relevant issue. We must protect our democratic processes while maintaining a fundamental distinction: political dissent is entirely legitimate; organized interference by a foreign power is something very different, and it must be established on the basis of evidence.
Q: According to the Financial Times, Vannacci could be a Russian “Trojan horse” in Italy. What do you make of that?
A: Vannacci’s positions on Russia, Ukraine and sanctions are well known, and some of his arguments overlap with narratives favorable to Moscow.
- That is a political fact that can legitimately be debated. It is a different matter to claim that there is a relationship involving direct influence: that requires concrete evidence.
- The Meloni government’s position, by contrast, is unequivocal: a firm Atlantic orientation, support for Ukraine, the defense of national sovereignty and of peoples’ right to self-determination — always while protecting Italy’s national interest and remaining free from any external influence.
