Meloni Aims to Mend EU-US Ties in High-Stakes White House Meeting with Trump

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, in what is being seen as a key test of her ability to act as a bridge Europe and America amid growing trade tensions.

Meloni, who arrived in Washington on Wednesday night, will have lunch with Trump at noon before their official meeting in the Oval Office. She is the first European leader to meet the U.S. president since he imposed, and then temporarily paused, new tariffs on European products.

"As you can imagine, I’m feeling no pressure at all," Meloni joked earlier this week at an event in Rome. “It’s a difficult moment, let’s see how the situation develops, but let’s remember that we have the strength, ability and intelligence to overcome any obstacle.”

Tariffs Cast a Shadow Over Talks

The backdrop to the summit is tense. Trump recently imposed 20% tariffs on EU goods, only to suspend them for 90 days following backlash from European leaders. The EU, like many countries, is still facing a 10% tariff on most of its exports to the U.S. — a move that has rattled transatlantic trade ties.

Meloni has publicly criticized the tariffs as "wrong," but her tone has been more measured, aware of the need to maintain good relations both with Trump and her EU counterparts.

Balancing EU Interests with Trump Ties

Before heading to Washington, Meloni held discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the upcoming talks. She also consulted with Germany's outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz and his successor Friedrich Merz. According to Politico’s German edition, Scholz was unable to secure a meeting with Trump, while Merz’s request is still pending.

Meloni has maintained friendly ties with Trump and is seen as politically closer to him than many other European leaders. However, she now finds herself walking a fine line — trying to represent EU's interests while keeping open channels with a U.S. president known for his unpredictability on global trade.

Observers in both Brussels and Washington will be closely watching the outcome of Thursday’s meeting to see whether Meloni can genuinely help narrow the growing divide between the two allies.