When Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives at the White House, President Donald Trump greets her. ( AP )
At their White House meeting on Friday, US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed hope for a fresh US-EU trade agreement and praised the two traditional leaders ‘ growing intellectual alignment.
Trump safely declared,” There will be a business deal, 100 percent,” while sitting next to Meloni during her appeal offensive in Washington. The far-right president of Italy echoed the enthusiasm, saying,” I’m certain we can accomplish a deal.”
Meloni has positioned herself as a vital intermediary between the US and Europe, becoming the first Western leader to join Trump since he imposed 20 % tariffs on EU export earlier this year, which have been suspended for 90 days. It’s important to sit down and try to locate answers, she said, even if there are issues between the two Atlantic coasts.
Throughout her explore, Meloni emphasized their shared worldview, starting with reducing immigration and fight “woke” philosophy. She continued,” I think we can make the West great again, and I think we can do it together,” while mingling with Trump’s signature slogan.
Trump, who gave her a working lunch and a meeting at the Oval Office, praised Meloni as “fantastic” and said she had proposed an offer to Rome soon, something he’s considering doing in conjunction with a gathering of EU officials to discuss the situation.
Hard discussion about China and Europe.
Trump returned to his old critics, albeit the atmosphere was pleasant. He claimed that the EU was trying to “screw” the US on business and that the alliance needed to “get intelligent” about immigration and increase NATO defence spending.
Trump remarked,” Everyone wants to make a deal, and if they don’t want to create a deal, we’ll make the deal for them,” adding that he was “in no rush.”
He added that despite imposing a steep 145 % tariff following the” Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, China “reached out” about resolving their trade dispute. He said,” I think we’re going to make a very good deal with China.”
The conflict in Ukraine exposes a split.
The Russian-Ukraine conflict remained a source of contention between the two. Meloni has long supported Ukraine, and he most recently described the Russians ‘ Palm Sunday attack on Sumy as “horrible and nasty.” Trump has also publicly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and has since shifted to a more friendly approach toward Moscow.
Trump said with Meloni next to him,” I don’t keep Zelensky accountable, but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that battle started.” I don’t really like the Ukrainian, I think.
Union cohesion in danger?
In Brussels and other European capitals, Meloni’s engagement has sparked controversy. The European PM’s program was” coordinated with Brussels,” according to the European Commission, which stressed that the bloc alone could negotiate trade agreements.
Also, some Western officials aren’t convinced. France’s Industry Minister Marc Ferracci remarked,” It will certainly break the present dynamic if we start bilateral discussions.”
One of Meloni’s visits, according to European advertising, was to make it possible for Trump and Ursula von der Leyen to meet.
After wrapping up her US vacation, Meloni will return to Rome on Friday for a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance. However, she made the decision to physically engage with Trump at a crucial time. He’s menacing taxes that will severely impact Italy, where nearly 10 % of its exports are US.
Both officials are still betting on their science for the time being. I am aware of what I am defending and what I represent, as Meloni puts it.
