->From promises to facts. The United States confirms support for Italy affected by the coronavirus and starts the machine for supplies. With a memorandum the White House of Donald Trump announces the start of the solidarity operation. “The Italian Republic – writes Trump at the beginning – one of the closest and longest-standing allies, has been devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already claimed more than 18,000 lives, taking most of the health system one step from collapse, and threatens to push the Italian economy into a deep recession ”.
“Although the first and most important responsibility of the United States government is towards the American people – continues the document – we will go to Italy’s aid to defeat the Covid-19 epidemic and mitigate the impact of the crisis, showing the same time the US leadership in front of the Chinese and Russian disinformation campaigns, reducing the risk of a new infection from Europe to the United States “.
The move by the White House has the primary goal of helping the historic ally country. But also, explains the memorandum, of “demonstrating US leadership in the face of the disinformation campaigns of China and Russia”. A pungent reference to the solidarity campaigns of Beijing and Moscow in the boot accompanied by a not indifferent wave of propaganda on the pro-government media and on social networks.
There will be no need to tap into the “supplies needed” to deal with the crisis in the US to “respond to Italy’s urgent need for medical equipment and supplies to combat the epidemic,” says Trump.
The president entrusts the secretary of defense Mark Esper the task of identifying excess supplies to be transferred to the State Department of Mike Pompeo to then be delivered to Italy. The distribution work will be carried out by the approximately 30,000 employees of the US Armed Forces in Italy, as well as by the diplomatic and consular network.
The hospitals, as mentioned in the memorandum, will be offered telemedicine services, food and technical assistance, but also assistance in the assembly of field structures. The goal is to “facilitate contacts between the Italian authorities and American companies” for the supply of those items required by the authorities and health structures.
On March 30 at a press conference, the American president announced the sending of medical equipment and equipment worth 100 million dollars to Italy, in addition to the mobilization of private companies and US NGOs that had already started to donate funds and help Northern Italy is the case of Eli Lilly and Samaritan’s Purse.
In the past two weeks, Washington DC’s proximity to Rome had multiplied. The First Lady Melania Trump the daughter of the President of the Republic had called on April 9, Laura Mattarella, expressing “his heartfelt condolences for the many Italians who lost their lives for the coronavirus“. Then, on April 9, the solemn promise of Secretary of State Pompeo in an interview with Corriere della Sera: “For Italy we are the ones who do and who will do more”.
Promise kept, and already entered the operational phase, with a mobilization of the aid machine that is unprecedented, nor comparable. And to think that in the Italian newspapers, until a few days ago, there were already those who spoke of “broken promises” and of solidarity “only in words”.
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