Crosetto highlighted that over a million Russian troops have reportedly died since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including 200,000 in just the first six months of this year. Nonetheless, Russia has mobilised another 300,000 personnel without diminishing internal political support, raising concern among NATO allies about Moscow's long-term strategic intentions.

No Conversion to Civilian Production

“There are no signs of conversion of Russian production to civilian purposes, not even in the event of a ceasefire,” Crosetto told Parliament, underlining the alliance’s concerns. His remarks followed a NATO summit that reaffirmed commitments to boost defense budgets across member states.

Italy Pledges Higher Defense Spending

Confirming Italy’s alignment with NATO’s new spending targets, Crosetto said provisions had already been made in the national budget. He assured that increased military expenditures would not come at the expense of healthcare or pension systems, echoing a previous Reuters report on Rome’s fiscal strategy.