**Washington:** Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met President Donald Trump to explore US-EU trade cooperation, focusing on tariffs, energy imports, and strategic sectors, while preparing for upcoming US-EU discussions with limited immediate agreements.
On Thursday, 17 April 2025, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with US President Donald Trump at the White House for discussions centred on future cooperation between the United States and the European Union. Meloni, known for her right-wing and often described as fascist political stance, presented herself as a representative for broader EU interests during the meeting, aiming to strengthen ties between Washington and Brussels.
Speaking to the press following the talks, Meloni remarked, “We have much in common,” highlighting the shared political orientation and ambitions between herself and Trump. She conveyed their mutual endeavour to “make the West great again,” a play on Trump’s well-known campaign slogan. The meeting, while cordial and marked by mutual appreciation—with Trump praising Meloni highly—resulted in limited concrete agreements.
Senior officials, cited anonymously by Bloomberg, revealed that the discussions primarily focused on trade matters, including import tariffs and regulatory barriers faced by US companies in the European market. The talks also addressed cooperative ambitions in sectors such as space exploration, telecommunications, energy policy, and biotechnology, underscoring a mutual interest in maintaining Western competitiveness on a global scale.
Trump reiterated his intention to pursue a trade agreement with the EU, although he indicated no urgency on his part. Just the week prior, he had suspended certain tariffs on EU goods for a period of 90 days, a move that appeared to create a window for potential negotiations. Meloni, while acknowledging her role as “bridge builder” between the US and the EU, was careful to clarify that she did not negotiate on behalf of the entire Union. She emphasised that Italy aims to “increase its liquefied natural gas imports,” signalling a priority for her country within the broader talks.
The US President suggested he still anticipates maintaining a “considerable number” of tariffs, implying that concessions may be limited. Meanwhile, other global trading partners are closely monitoring these developments. A delegation from Japan had visited Washington on Wednesday, and visits from South Korea and India were expected in the days following. Trump’s seemingly unpredictable tariff policy has generated uncertainty; however, it appears to be encouraging various countries to seek negotiations swiftly. Trump himself commented on this dynamic, stating, “We have a lot of countries that want to make a deal. Honestly, they want the deals more than I do.”
Additionally, Trump indicated plans to visit Rome in the near future. This forthcoming visit would provide an opportunity for EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to engage in direct discussions with both American and Italian leadership. Von der Leyen reportedly relies significantly on Meloni’s involvement, underlining Meloni’s elevated status within EU-US dialogue.
The conversations at the White House thus underscore a complex interplay between US domestic trade policy, EU internal dynamics, and broader geopolitical considerations as Western powers seek cooperative strategies amid evolving global challenges.
Source: Noah Wire Services
