G7 defense summit convenes as conflicts rage

NAPLES, ITALY — 

G7 defence ministers started talks connected Saturday against a backdrop of escalation successful the Middle East and mounting unit connected Ukraine arsenic it faces different wintertime of fighting.

Italy, holding the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven countries, organized the body's archetypal ministerial gathering dedicated to defense, staged successful Naples, the confederate metropolis that is besides location to a NATO base.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto welcomed each of the attendees, including NATO main Mark Rutte and the EU's overseas argumentation chief, Josep Borrell.

"I judge that our beingness contiguous ... sends a beardown connection to those who effort to hinder our antiauthoritarian systems," Crosetto said arsenic helium opened the event.

"The brutal Russian aggressions successful Ukraine and the so captious concern successful the Middle East, combined with the profound instability of sub-Saharan Africa and the expanding hostility successful the Indo-Pacific portion item a deteriorated information model with forecasts for the adjacent aboriginal that cannot beryllium positive," helium said.

"Ample space" would beryllium fixed to discussing the escalating Middle East struggle during the one-day summit, Crosetto said a time earlier successful Brussels.

Also connected the acme docket is the warfare successful Ukraine, improvement and information successful Africa and the concern successful the Asia-Pacific.

Middle East

The gathering comes 2 days aft Israel announced it killed Hamas main Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7, 2023, attacks connected Israel that triggered the devastating retaliatory warfare successful Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sinwar's decease successful the Palestinian territory signaled "the opening of the end" of the warfare against Hamas, portion U.S. President Joe Biden said it opened the doorway to "a way to peace."

Italy's premier minister, Giorgia Meloni, was successful Lebanon connected Friday, wherever Israel is besides astatine warfare with Hamas state Hezbollah.

Speaking successful Beirut, Meloni slammed attacks connected U.N. peacekeepers successful Lebanon arsenic "unacceptable" aft the U.N. unit accused Israel of targeting their positions.

Italy has astir 1,000 troops successful the U.N. peacekeeping unit successful Lebanon, which has soldiers from much than 50 countries.

Ukraine

On Ukraine, the ministers volition contemplate Kyiv entering a 3rd wintertime astatine war, battlefield losses successful the eastbound — and the imaginable of reduced U.S. subject enactment should Donald Trump beryllium elected to the White House adjacent month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, nether mounting unit from Western allies to forge a winning strategy against Russia, connected Thursday presented what helium called a triumph program to the European Union and NATO.

Its main thrust is simply a telephone for contiguous NATO membership, deemed unfeasible by confederation members.

It besides demands the quality to onslaught subject targets wrong Russia with long-range weapons, and an undefined "nonnuclear strategical deterrence package" connected Ukrainian territory.

Under treatment volition besides apt beryllium reports, based connected South Korean intelligence, that North Korea is deploying ample numbers of troops to enactment Moscow's warfare against Ukraine.

NATO was not arsenic yet capable to corroborate that intelligence, Rutte said connected Friday.