The State Duma responded to the idea of including Ukraine in the article on the collective defense of NATO

The idea of Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni to extend the fifth article of the NATO Charter on collective defense to Ukraine is evidence of panic in the European Union (EU) countries. Dmitry Novikov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, expressed this opinion on Friday, March 7.

Earlier, Meloni proposed extending the fifth article of the North Atlantic Alliance on collective defense to Ukraine without its participation in the unification. 360.ru . According to the Italian leader, such an option would be "a guarantee of stable, long-term and effective security," reports NSN.

"They have been hyping themselves and their constituents on the topic of the Russian threat for so long that now, when <...> the United States is changing its foreign policy priorities, and there is another panic in Brussels. Meloni's move is a sign of such a crisis, when people try to configure certain approaches that are beyond the previously developed rules and mechanisms," Novikov explained in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

Signs of disagreement: Europeans against sending soldiers to Ukraine

Western allies may try to strengthen Kiev's position with the help of mercenaries.

Shortly before that, it became known that the EU summit on March 6 decided to reorient the European Investment Bank to finance military programs.