Macron sente Meloni and Mitsotakis, "together to send military aid to Cyprus". London…

Elysée sources report a phone call from the French presidentEmmanuel Macron to the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloniand to the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “In a spirit of European solidarity, the President of the Republic took the initiative this morning to call the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis”, say sources in the entourage of the French presidency, in the context of the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and in Golgo.

“They agreed to coordinate thesending military resources to Cyprus and in the eastern Mediterranean and to collaborate to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Red Sea”, underline the same sources.

The conversation between Macron and Meloni

The Prime Minister,Giorgia Meloni“had a telephone conversation with the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders “discussed the implications of conflict in Iran both on the Middle Eastern regional framework and at a global level” focusing in particular as he explains Palazzo Chigi in a note “on the impact of hostilities on freedom of navigation“.

Meloni and Macron also “reaffirmed their common commitment to support the Gulf nations hit by unjustifiable Iranian attacks and the security of Cyprus and to avoid a military escalation in Lebanon”.
The two leaders agreed to keep in close contact on the evolution of the crisis.

Meloni, we are not at war and we don’t want to go to war

“We are not at war and we do not want to go to war“. This was stated by the Prime Minister Giorgia Melonispeaking to ‘RTL 102.5’ of situation in the Middle East. The situation “is worrying and I would say on several fronts. I am worried about one increasingly evident crisis of international law of the international bodies. It was predictable after the total anomaly of a member of the United Nations” which invaded a neighboring country, the prime minister said.

Use of US bases? “We will decide with Parliament”

“As far as military bases are concerned, it seems to me that everyone is in reality adhering to what the bilateral agreements provide. The Spanish spokeswoman herself declared yesterday that there is a bilateral agreement and outside of that agreement there will be no use of Spanish bases. It means that what the agreements provide is not being questioned and I think it applies to everyone like that, it also applies to us”, stated the Prime Minister. “Us in Italy we have military bases granted for American use by virtue of agreements that I did not sign, which date back to 1954. Which have always been updated – he explained -. According to those agreements there are technical authorizations when we are clearly talking about logistics and so-called non-kinetic operations, that is, to simplify, non-bombing operations. Then, if requests were received to use the Italian bases to do something else, I think the government would be responsible for deciding whether or not to grant more extensive use, but I think that in that case we should decide this together with Parliament. To date, however, we have no request in this sense and I want to say that we are not at war and we do not want to go to war.”

“Air defense aid to Gulf countries”

“Italy, like the United Kingdom, like France, like Germany, intends to send, let’s say, aid to Gulf countries. We are clearly talking about defense, particularly about air defensenot only because they are friendly nations, but above all because in that area there are tens of thousands of Italians and there are around 2,000 Italian soldiers that we want and must protect. Among other things, the Gulf, I need not remind you, is also vital for the energy supply of Italy and Europe”.

Escalation risk

“I’m worried about Iran’s disorganized reaction. It is bombing all the neighboring countries” and this “involves a risk of escalation with unpredictable consequences“.

No differences with Mattarella

“Total science fiction”, declared the Prime Minister: “I was also speaking yesterday with President Mattarella in this clearly delicate international situation. We, as often happens, shared the same concerns. So it seems to me that there is always an attempt to create gaps which however I don’t see in my daily life – she underlined -. I can always count on the presence of the President of the Republic, who is very precious, particularly in a phase like this. So I would absolutely say that this continuous attempt to create differences is designed for the interests of some, here, which however are neither mine nor, I presume, those of the President of the Republic”.

Starmer announces: “We will send 4 jets to Qatar and helicopters to Cyprus

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the strengthening of the military presence in the Gulf in response to Iranian attacks. “I can announce today that we will be sending four more Typhoon jets to join our squadron in Qatar to strengthen our defense operations in Qatar and across the region. Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities will arrive in Cyprus tomorrow. The Defense Secretary is currently in Cyprus, coordinating our work and meeting our brave servicemen,” Starmer told a press conference. “We are deploying HMS Dragon to the Mediterranean and have allowed the US to use British bases to conduct defensive operations, to neutralize Iranian missiles before they are launched against our people and our allies. We will maintain this shield over the British people in the region and over our allies,” he added.