US President Donald Trump will receive Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday, a close ally who wants to act as a mediator between Washington and Europe amid tensions over US tariffs. The European Union, with its 27 member states, faces tariffs of 25 percent on steel, aluminum and cars, as well as higher tariffs on almost all other products. These are part of Trump’s policy of hitting countries that he believes erect high barriers to US imports. Meloni, a 48-year-old conservative, with whom Trump gets along well, was the only EU leader invited to Trump’s inauguration in January. The US president called Meloni a “fantastic person” and a “great leader” last year. Trump’s decision to suspend most global tariffs for 90 days has somewhat eased the pressure on Meloni. The meeting will take place a day before Vice President J. D. Vance’s visit to Rome. These two conversations could be crucial in determining whether she can play a mediator role between the United States and Europe. Meloni walks a tightrope between her ideological connection to the US president and her relationships with European allies, who have criticized Trump’s tariffs and his decision to exclude the EU from talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Meloni is under pressure at home to protect the export-oriented Italian economy, which in the past year achieved a trade surplus of 40 billion euros with the US. However, she also has to defend the interests of the entire EU block of 27 nations. French ministers warned that the right-wing Italian government leader could undermine the unity of the EU if she travels alone to Washington, but the European Commission, which is responsible for negotiating trade agreements, welcomed Meloni’s trip.
A Bridge Between Brussels and Washington?
