Death of Palestinian child same as Italian child: Defense Minister Crosetto
Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto arrives for a meeting of the NATO alliance's defence ministers at the NATO Headquarter in Brussels on February 14, 2023. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP Photo)
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has voiced strong objections to certain Israeli military operations, especially those resulting in civilian casualties, including attacks on a hospital and medical personnel in the “Palestinian” enclave.
“For me, a Palestinian child is worth as much as a Ukrainian child or an Italian child. A Palestinian hospital is worth as much as a Ukrainian hospital or an Italian hospital,” he stated, urging Israel to acknowledge its mistakes, according to a Reuters report.
“Sometimes you need to have the courage to say ‘sorry’,” Crosetto added.
The minister expressed concern over the collapse of a recent ceasefire and the possibility of the conflict escalating further.
“Gaza is a pond in which a stone is being thrown every day, and the circles that this stone creates widen more and more,” he said, warning of potential fallout involving Iran.
Russia lacks genuine interest for peace with Ukraine
Crosetto also accused Russia of lacking genuine interest in a peace settlement in Ukraine, despite pressure from Washington.
While Italy’s conservative government has traditionally aligned itself with U.S. President Donald Trump, and has generally refrained from criticizing his policies—unlike many other European nations—it has quietly expressed concern about Trump’s handling of Ukraine. Publicly, Italian ministers have supported U.S. efforts to end the war but have warned that Russia may be attempting to mislead the American administration.
“Nothing has changed with the Russians,” said Crosetto. “It is clear the Russians want to continue with the attacks as they have over the past three years.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Tuesday that negotiating a peace agreement with the U.S. was difficult and emphasized that Moscow would not fall for any diplomatic traps.
Demonstrating Italy’s strong ties with the Trump administration, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to meet with the U.S. president in Washington on Thursday before returning to Rome to host Vice President JD Vance, who will be visiting over Easter.
