Italy Boosts Defense Spending, Urges NATO to Focus on Drones

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said NATO allies need to assess the value of modern technology compared with more expensive, traditional armaments. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives during the G7 Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on June 16, 2025. Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images6/12/2026|Updated: 6/12/2026Italy’s prime minister has pledged to boost defense spending and has urged NATO to focus more on drone warfare.Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on June 11 that Italy would spend 2.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense and security in 2026, an increase of 0.71 percent on last year.