International-News

Meloni welcomes Vance to Palazzo Chigi: ‘Special relationship with the US’. Trump: ‘He left a fantastic impression’.

After the meeting at the White House, talks between Italy and the United States continue in Rome. Duties, Ukraine, defence and immigration on the table

‘I’ve been missing you…’, joked Giorgia Meloni as she welcomed JD Vance, the US vice-president and Donald Trump’s right-hand man, to Palazzo Chigi a few hours after his mission to Washington. An informal comment to break the ice and confirm the climate of détente and cooperation that seems to mark the new course of relations between Italy and the United States.

Fresh from her meeting with Trump, Meloni appears serene and relaunches the message that had already emerged at the White House: ‘Privileged relations between Rome and Washington’, with Vance’s presence seen as ‘another great opportunity to strengthen our bilateral cooperation’. The premier says she is ‘proud to have a special relationship with this administration’.

For his part, Vance says there are two key dossiers on the table: the conflict in Ukraine and trade tariffs. On the first, he expresses optimism for a possible breakthrough: ‘We hope that we can put an end to this brutal war’. On the second, he reiterates: ‘We are pursuing important trade negotiations, we talked about it yesterday with the president and we will continue today’. The reference is to Trump’s green light for a mission to Rome to discuss US-EU tensions on the trade front.

In parallel, Meloni also updated Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission: ‘A good phone call,’ she confirmed in Brussels, emphasising how the premier’s American blitz was ‘useful for strengthening bridges with the US administration’.

Adding further weight to the visit is President Donald Trump’s direct message on Truth Social: ‘Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni was great yesterday during her visit to the White House. She loves her country and left everyone with a fantastic impression’. The response was not long in coming: ‘Thank you, President Trump! The friendship between Italy and the United States is based on common values and we will continue to work together to address global challenges,’ Meloni tweeted.

In a joint statement signed by Meloni and Trump, the willingness to ensure ‘fair and reciprocal’ trade between the US and Europe is reaffirmed. It also confirms Trump’s intention to visit Italy for an official visit, on which occasion a bilateral US-EU meeting is also being considered.

The agreement between the two leaders also touches on other key areas: defence, security, technology and immigration. In particular, the ‘joint commitment to fight illegal immigration’ and to strengthen the strategic alliance is confirmed.

According to European sources, Meloni’s trip was perceived positively in Brussels as a useful move to ‘build bridges’ with the new US administration, while respecting their respective institutional roles.

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