Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has spent months preparing for this moment: her own meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. And it will take place with the support of the European Union, no less, Bloomberg reports, UNN writes.
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When she lands in Washington to meet with the US president, with whom she has a strong ideological affinity, she will have tariff relief and defense in mind, the newspaper writes.
"If she succeeds, it will be a significant diplomatic victory for the Italian leader and will firmly establish her in the top league with Germany and France. But there is also a risk that she will return empty-handed, no longer able to maintain a complex and fragile balance," the newspaper writes.
The consequences of Trump's unpredictable actions in both economic and foreign policy have not escaped the attention of Italian officials, who have been preparing the meeting between the Italian prime minister and him behind the scenes since January, sometimes complaining privately that the White House has not named a specific date, people familiar with the matter say.
The Guardian calls their summit date Thursday.
Meloni and her entourage, as Bloomberg points out, were privately shocked by some of Trump's statements after his inauguration - including his recent comments that countries are "kissing [his] ass" in an attempt to negotiate their way out of his punitive tariffs, made just hours after her visit to Washington was confirmed.
In public, however, Meloni's tone has been respectful. The harshest criticism she has leveled against Trump is that his tariff move, affecting about 10% of Italy's exports, is "wrong," instead calling for negotiations and suggesting that retaliation could be counterproductive.
During her visit, Meloni, as indicated, plans to propose a mutual abolition of most industrial duties between the United States and the EU, essentially creating a free trade zone.
Obtaining significant concessions in trade, while it seems unlikely, is not impossible, some of the people familiar with the thinking in the Meloni administration said.
Meanwhile, EU Trade Committee chief Maroš Šefčovič returned from Washington with little clarity on the US position after meeting with his American counterparts, highlighting Meloni's upcoming task.
Among the outcomes that her entourage considers more achievable is the possibility of persuading Trump to agree to a US-EU summit, which would allow member states to discuss trade and defense. Meloni first put forward this idea earlier this year after a spat at Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
Securing personal negotiations with the bloc on trade would also give Trump the opportunity to speak for the first time with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, "sanctifying" Meloni as a mediator between Europe and Washington.
Officials warn that Trump's volatile nature makes it difficult to predict possible outcomes, and expectations for major victories in the Meloni camp remain low. EU trade policy is also the responsibility of the European Commission.
Meloni appeared to acknowledge the high stakes surrounding her visit on Tuesday. "I don't feel any pressure, as you can imagine, for the next two days," she said, smiling, at a Renaissance-style palace in Rome.
Trump is likely to demand that Italy increase imports of liquefied natural gas from the US and increase defense spending, which it is now ready to raise above the 2% of GDP mandated by NATO. This is still well below the 5% that Trump wants, and it is almost impossible for Italy to achieve this without significant and politically unpleasant changes to its budget.
In talking points prepared for the meeting, Meloni will reiterate Italy's strategic position in the Mediterranean and how any diversion of US resources would be detrimental to security in general, people say.
Meloni's European colleagues believe that the trip could benefit not only her, but also the allies as a whole. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke with Meloni on Monday to discuss her trip, informed sources said, and Rutte congratulated Meloni on overcoming the 2% threshold.