Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday said he had welcomed with favour European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement of a plan to ‘rearm Europe’ which was however not an alternative to NATO.

“We have seen with favour the decision of Commission President von der Leyen towards European defence, which is not an alternative choice to NATO”, said Tajani, speaking at an event for the reconstruction of Ukraine at the headquarters of Lombardy’s regional government in Milan.

The objective is to “strengthen the transatlantic alliance, with a European and an American pillar, a guarantee of peace for all”, he said.

Von der Leyen on Tuesday said close to 800 billion euros could be mobilized as part of the plan, which was launched in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine and amid concerns that Europe can no longer rely on US protection.