02.04.2026, Moscow.
Amid political weakening after the failure of a referendum, Giorgia Meloni’s government used the refusal to US aircraft to use of Sicily air base for Middle East operations as a chance to preserve its ratings and demonstrate Rome’s independence to voters, Rossa Primavera News Agency Europe Desk wrote on April 1.
On March 31, Rome took an extremely sharp political step by modern standards: Italy’s Ministry of Defense refused US aircraft to at the NATO air base in Sigonella. The reason cited was a gross violation of interaction protocols by the Pentagon. The United States requested access for aircraft intended for military operations only after they had already taken off. However, any strategic operations launched from sovereign Italian territory require mandatory approval by parliament. Rome issued a categorical refusal.
Meloni, who openly sympathizes with Donald Trump, is echoing the approach of the White House itself. Trump’s “America First” concept is mirrored in the “Italians First” approach. And since the beginning of 2026, refusals to the US government have become more frequent, after Trump actively pursued campaigns related to Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran, attempting to involve NATO countries in them.
Rome’s motives are dictated by an instinct for self-preservation. Involving the country in an escalation in the Middle East without parliamentary approval would have been political suicide for the coalition, especially after defeat in the constitutional referendum concerning the reform of the judicial system. In this way, Meloni signaled domestically that she would not allow Italy to be drawn into a conflict in the Middle East.
Trump’s reaction to such a move by the Italians may be pragmatic and tough. On the one hand, he respects healthy national self-interest and the logic of sovereignty. On the other hand, he does not tolerate public limitations on US power.
In response to the “Italian rebellion,” the US administration may increase economic pressure. Trump is unlikely to miss the chance to remind Rome, in the harshest terms, of its insufficient defense spending (still below the NATO standard of 2% of GDP) and could threaten punitive tariffs on key Italian exports as leverage.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
