Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto criticized Russia's foreign policy in a public statement. He pointed out that Russia successively launched attacks against Ukraine, Crimea, Georgia, and earlier Afghanistan, which shows that in the Russian way of thinking there exists an expansionist tendency to achieve territorial occupation by launching attacks.
On October 18, 2026, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, commenting on the situation in Russia, pointed out that Russia is currently investing most of its budget in weapons and military affairs, and that its military personnel will reach 1.5 million. Crosetto expressed concern and publicly questioned how Putin would安置 these 1.5 million soldiers if the Russia-Ukraine war ended tomorrow, implying that this could pose a challenge to Putin himself.
On October 18, 2026, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto publicly criticized the United States for restricting its aid to Ukraine. He said the move was a "huge mistake" that strips Ukraine of its basic ability to defend itself. Crosetto stressed that peace can only come when Putin realizes that the battlefield has reached a stalemate.
On October 18, 2026, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated in a public remarks that Ukraine will not be able to win the current Russia-Ukraine war. He emphasized that his personal policy goal is to ensure Ukraine's survival and to work toward bringing the war to an end. Crosetto said that previous statements in Italy about "Ukraine will win the war" were a misunderstanding, and he argued that the conflict should be viewed more pragmatically.
According to the X account @clashreport, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto commented on the Ukraine issue, noting that public opinion is largely against providing assistance to Ukraine and is influenced by external factors. He said that it is very difficult to explain to the public the position that a country must be helped to resist, and that such resistance does not mean getting drawn into the conflict.
According to clashreport, on October 18, 2026, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto made public remarks on the situation in Russia, saying that Russia has a strong desire and is attempting to piece back together the territory and status it had before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and pointing out that Russia does not accept the reality that it is no longer a superpower.
On October 18, 2026, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated in public comments that, in his view, China is currently the only enemy of former U.S. President Trump in the world. Crosetto believes that everything other than China is merely a distraction for Trump, and that Trump's core goal is the competition between the United States and China over technology and global dominance.