“Proteggiamo noi stessi le nostre navi mercantili” – [Italy’s Foreign Minister] Il mio tajani è Vance
https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2025/03/25/we-protect-our-merchant-ships-ourselves-tajani-on-vance_68eab254-9c5b-4e93-b3d3-ffc968ea32d8.html
di Massimo25ore
22 commenti
Italy protects its merchant ships by itself, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said after US Vice President J.D.
Vance said he “hated bailing Europe out” with strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been targetting Western shipping in the Red Sea.
“Given that I don’t like the word ‘hate’, it’s not my language, I want to remind everyone that we protect our merchant ships ourselves, with our Navy that has shot down several drones launched by the Houthis against us,” said Tajani, who is also deputy premier.
“Maybe Vance has just arrived, maybe he doesn’t know the background, but we are integrated into a series of operations, including with the US and the UK.
“The Italian Navy is there, we protect our merchant ships ourselves, others don’t protect them, and we protect others as others protect us.
“This is to dot the i’s, with great respect and without hating anyone”.
“hated bailing Europe out” now please sent us eggs
To be honest the USA has a central role in protecting those trade routes though, we need to recognize that, but they are not doing that for selfless reasons or just to help Europe.
Their Saudi friends won’t exactly love the Houti threthening their own trade routes wouldn’t they? And petrodollars are one of the reasons why the USD is the world reserve currency so it’s not like they are friends with the arab states out of kindness either.
Israel also I bet won’t be exactly happy if trade through the Suez canal stops.
On top of that the world markets are integrated if supply fails to get to its destination inflation would hit them as well.
I get the rhetoric from both sides but why didn’t the EU, specifically Italy, respond to the threat to keep Red Sea shipping lanes open? Only the US, UK and Israel have conducted airstrikes to destroy missiles, bunkers and launch sites.
The only reason we even need to protect our ships is because the US and Israel is destabilising the middle east. We should do as China so that they dont target them
Ce ne vuole per fare reagire Tajani! Wow!
If ships want better protection, fly a proper flag.
If you have a nice cheap flag of convenience, you can always ask Liberia and Panama for help.
You thought that Mongolian registration was cool? Ask for their navy.
As nice as it sound… bs. As I previously said on other post, Vance kind of have point there EU, China and honestly especially Egypt should do more to curb down Houthi attacks.
You want to know how well “protected” ships were? [Trade through channel dropped by 50% in 2024](https://unctad.org/news/suez-and-panama-canal-disruptions-threaten-global-trade-and-development). The only way merchants really were “protected” was by shifting routes, for longer ones. Increasing costs.
European countries should develop joint navy forces capable to react crises like that, or we will be bailed out ones, no matter how much we may pretend we aren’t.
What a useless prick.
I hate When people talks without knowing. How can somebody that ignorante cover such Role? He’s a Bloody menace.
Time for us to MAN THE FUCK UP and cut the umbilical cord. I want to seen an independent, EU based military structure. Hell part of me wishes the US would just leave NATO so we would inherit its structures and be forced to get our shit together. We would be so much better of for it in the long run. If you are a country or bloc whose continued existence depends on others, like ours does on the US, you are essentially a VASSAL and you set yourself up to be abused.
Only this vermin could make Tajani look good I swear
Who asked the US to bomb the Houthis? As far as I know European nations escort their merchant shipping in that area themselves without bombing Yemen, just interception etc.
Amateurs in the White House with 0 grasp of anything they’re actually doing. Watching America burn from the inside out is sad. It was a beacon of hope for a long time now it’s a fucking bin fire.
I don’t understand this… the Yeman issue is due to Israel….. which is stood up by the US… how is this Europe’s issue? They have caused this
Why don’t you do it then?
Didn’t the Americans just lose a fuel supply ship in the North Sea due to a Russian captain ploughing into it full speed ahead? I think it’s Americans that need some help here with their ships and especially about keeping secrets from enemies like Russia.
The US brags about having one the few serious blue water navies. That’s true and it’s a legitimately impressive force, but one of the reasons for that is the US wanting to do things beyond the two massive oceans that isolate it from the world.
The Middle East and its environs are 1. Much closer to us – for good and bad – and 2. Connected by land, which is prized for its well-known ability to host airfields without the need for aircraft carriers.
I still think we should expand our blue-water capabilities just in case, but we don’t need the USN to police the Suez canal and surroundings.
So true to Trumpist form… Vance is somewhere between “inaccurate” and “a liar.” The more you get into details, the more dishonest the statement… usually.
That said… at the most macro level… he’s speaking to something real.
The Houthis aren’t blockading a shipping lane critical to the USA. They are blockading/harassing a shipping route connecting Europe to Asia… with China and the Mediterranean being most affected.
The default, expected way this would have played out is (1) US lead or solo the military campaign. (2) Europe populist left and centre “prosecute” and critique the US’ campaign.
Whether or not European militaries participate in the campaign is, ultimately, immaterial.
Vance does not even realize they are bailing fucking Israel
“Hated bailing Europe out”, but we have this situation in Iraq and Afganistan.
I really love the insistence that they’re the only ones with the capability to do this, as if the attack wasn’t just a handful of Hornets, Tomahawks, and some drones. France could pull it off, the UK could pull it off, Italy could pull it off.