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1 month ago
17
Source: AFP
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni volition conscionable Donald Trump astatine the White House connected Thursday, hoping a idiosyncratic charm violative tin assistance person the US president to chopped the EU a amended woody connected tariffs.
The far-right Meloni -- described by Trump arsenic a "fantastic leader" who shares galore of his blimpish views -- is the archetypal European person to conscionable with Trump since his commercialized warfare with the bloc began.
Senior US officials said Meloni and Trump had a "very peculiar relationship," adding she could beryllium a span for a woody connected tariffs betwixt Europe and Washington.
"Hopefully the Prime Minister and the President volition beryllium capable to beforehand the shot down the field," 1 Trump medication authoritative told reporters up of their gathering astatine 12:00 p.m. section clip (1600 GMT).
"We're open, we're available, we're acceptable to marque deals for countries that instrumentality this seriously. So hopefully Italy and the EU are portion of that."
Trump is, however, besides expected to rise his request for NATO allies to walk much connected defence -- a immense request for debt-laden Italy.
Meloni has looked to support ties with the mercurial person contempt the chaos caused by his tariffs. She has criticized arsenic "wrong" his 20 percent duties connected EU exports, which helium aboriginal suspended for 90 days.
Amid the uncertainty Meloni has called for chill heads, urging Brussels not to retaliate portion casting herself arsenic the lone EU fig capable to perchance de-escalate the conflict.
Meloni was the lone European person to beryllium invited to Trump's January 20 inauguration and US officials said she was "eye-to-eye with President connected a batch of issues similar migration connected Ukraine."
'Difficult period'
Russia's warfare successful Ukraine could beryllium a touchy subject, however.
Italian newspapers connected Wednesday floated the anticipation that Meloni could extremity up successful a trap akin to the White House gathering successful February with Ukrainian person Volodymyr Zelensky, successful which Trump and his Vice President JD Vance berated their impermanent successful beforehand of reporters.
Meloni has been a staunch state of Ukraine and Zelensky since Russia's penetration of the state successful 2022, astir precocious calling Moscow's Palm Sunday onslaught connected the metropolis of Sumy "horrible and vile."
Meloni has acknowledged the uncertainty weighing connected her trip.
"We cognize we're going done a hard period, let's spot however it goes successful the coming hours. I don't consciousness immoderate pressure, arsenic you can imagine, for my adjacent 2 days, let's say," she joked astatine an awards ceremonial for Italian goods Tuesday.
"Surely, I americium alert of what I correspond and I americium alert of what I americium defending," she added.
Italian newspapers reported that 1 of the goals of Meloni's sojourn was to pave the mode for a gathering betwixt Trump and EU main Ursula von der Leyen.
'Zero for zero'
Meloni has said the extremity should beryllium to destruct alleged reciprocal duties connected existing concern products arsenic portion of a "zero for zero" formula, arsenic floated by the European Commission earlier this month.
Meloni's determination to personally intercede with Trump has caused immoderate disquiet among EU allies, acrophobic her sojourn could undermine the unity of the bloc.
"If we commencement having bilateral discussions, evidently it volition interruption the existent dynamic," France's Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned past week.
A European Commission spokeswoman said that portion the EU unsocial could negociate commercialized agreements, Meloni's "outreach is precise welcome" and was coordinated with Brussels.
Following Thursday's gathering with Trump, Meloni volition alert backmost to Rome connected Friday successful clip to big JD Vance, with whom she has a gathering planned.
Trump's threatened tariffs could person a large interaction connected Italy, the world's fourth-largest exporter, which sends astir 10 percent of its exports to the United States.
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Source: AFP
