Italy's prime minister has called for NATO to focus on its southern flank and Africa to counter Russia's potential influence in the region. The collapse of the allied regime in Syria has raised concerns about Russian presence in the Middle East and Mediterranean. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged NATO to increase its presence on the continent and expressed concerns that Russia may seek to reinforce its presence in eastern Libya. Italy fears that Cyrenaica, under the control of commander Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, could be a potential outlet for Russia.