Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto made a resonant statement, questioning the relevance of NATO in the current geopolitical conditions. In an interview with Italian media on June 19, 2025, he emphasized that the alliance, created to ensure peace and collective defense, has lost its original mission and needs a radical transformation to meet new global realities. Crosetto's statement sparked heated debate among politicians and experts, raising questions about the future of the North Atlantic Alliance in the context of shifting global centers of influence.

According to Crosetto, NATO, founded in 1949 to counter Cold War threats, faces fundamentally different challenges today. The minister noted that the center of global stability and influence has shifted beyond Europe and the United States, pointing to the growing role of countries in Asia, Africa and other regions. He stressed that the alliance needs to reconsider its priorities in order to remain an effective instrument for ensuring security.

"The world has changed and NATO must adapt, otherwise its existence loses its meaning""Crossetto said, calling for a rethinking of the organization's strategic goals.

The Italian minister’s statement comes amid an ongoing debate about NATO’s role in modern conflicts. In recent years, the alliance has faced criticism for its slow response to new threats such as cyberattacks, hybrid warfare and the influence of undemocratic regimes. According to the European Council on Foreign Relations, NATO member states are divided over priorities, with eastern European states pushing for a stronger military presence on the eastern flank, while southern European countries, including Italy, are focusing on migration, terrorism and instability in the Mediterranean. Crosetto, representing Italy, which traditionally advocates a broader approach to security, stressed the need to include economic stability and climate change on the alliance’s agenda.