The US is holding back on the Strait of Messina Bridge: "It cannot be included in NATO's defense budget."

The US is rejecting EU allies' creative accounting efforts to meet the NATO spending target, "thus putting Italy on notice as the government considers whether to count the Strait of Messina bridge as military spending." Bloomberg reports this, citing an interview with US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker. "I've also had conversations today with some countries that are taking a very broad view of defense spending," and it's "very important" that the 5% target refers specifically to defense and related spending and that the commitment be "firmly made." "I'm following this very closely," Whitaker added.

Along with other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Italy has pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, fulfilling a request from US President Donald Trump at the June summit in The Hague. The idea that a €13.5 billion ($15.7 billion) project linking Sicily to the Italian mainland could be financed under the defense-related heading has attracted scrutiny.

Not so fast, the United States warns. "I've had conversations even today with some countries that are taking a very broad view of defense spending," US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said on Tuesday, September 2, in an interview at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia. It was "very important" that the 5% target specifically referred to defense and defense-related spending and that the commitment be taken "seriously," according to the envoy. "These were not about bridges that have no strategic military value," he said. "These were not about schools that, somehow, in some imaginary fantasy world, would be used for some other military purpose."

When asked specifically whether the Messina Strait Bridge falls under the category of legitimate military spending, Whitaker was clear. "I've been watching the situation very carefully," he said. "The positive thing about this moment at NATO compared to the 2014 Wales Summit is that we have monitoring mechanisms." Several Italian officials and politicians have considered the possibility of classifying the bridge as a military asset that could then be counted as NATO spending. One argument was that Sicily hosts a number of key military bases, including those used by NATO forces. A government document from April described the bridge as "of strategic importance" for "national and international security" and stated that "it will play a key role in a defense and security context, facilitating the movement of Italian and allied armed forces." A final decision has not yet been made, and the idea has been discussed at ministerial level, between the Treasury, the Ministry of Defense, and the body responsible for infrastructure.

Bloomberg notes that Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who also oversees transportation and led the bridge construction effort, has left all options open. "It could be a dual-use project, so there could be multiple uses, including for security reasons," he told reporters at a press conference last month. But the United States, Bloomberg notes, is looking for evidence that its allies are spending on battalions, artillery, and tanks—essential elements for combat—and not on extravagant engineering feats.