Trump and Italy’s Meloni talk up EU tariff deal hopes

Washington – US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hit an optimistic note about a possible US-European Union tariffs deal on April 17 as the far-right Italian leader mounted a charm offensive at the White House.

Casting herself as the only European who can de-escalate Mr Trump’s trade war, Ms Meloni highlighted their conservative common ground and said she wanted to “make the West great again”.

During her visit, Mr Trump said: “There will be a trade deal, 100 per cent.” Ms Meloni said she was “sure” they could reach a deal.

The two leaders struck a warm tone during a working lunch and a meeting in the Oval Office, with Mr Trump hailing the 48-year-old Italian premier as “fantastic”.

Ms Meloni is the first leader from Europe to visit the Republican since he slapped 20 per cent tariffs on EU exports, which he has since suspended for 90 days.

The Italian leader said Mr Trump had accepted an invitation to visit Rome in the “near future” and that he might also meet European leaders there.

“Even if we have some problems between the two shores of the Atlantic, it is the time that we try to sit down and find solutions,” she said.

Ms Meloni highlighted their shared views on immigration and “woke” ideology and said: “The goal for me is to make the West great again, and I think we can do it together.”

‘Get smart’

But while Mr Trump expressed confidence about an eventual deal with the 27-nation bloc he accuses of trying to “screw” the US, he said he was in “no rush”.

He said: “Everybody wants to make a deal – and if they don’t want to make a deal, we’ll make the deal for them.”

Mr Trump also returned to his administration’s familiar criticisms of Europe, saying it needed to “get smart” on immigration and boost defence spending on Nato.

The US leader said separately that superpower rival China had “reached out” about a possible deal to end the bitter trade war between the world’s biggest economies.

Mr Trump has slapped eye-watering 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods after it retaliated to his worldwide “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement on April 2.

“I think we’re going to make a very good deal with China,” he said.

Russia’s war in Ukraine meanwhile remained a touchy subject between the US and Italian leaders.

Ms Meloni has been a staunch ally of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022, most recently calling Moscow’s Palm Sunday attack on the city of Sumy “horrible and vile”.

But Mr Trump has stunned allies with a pivot towards Moscow and repeated attacks on Mr Zelensky, whom he berated in an Oval Office meeting in February.

The US leader said with Ms Meloni beside him that “I don’t hold Zelensky responsible, but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started”, adding that he was “not a big fan” of the Ukrainian.

Uncertainty

Ms Meloni had earlier acknowledged the uncertainty weighing on her trip, as Europe reels from repeated blows from a country that has been the continent’s defender for decades.

“I am aware of what I represent, and I am aware of what I am defending,” she said.

Italian newspapers reported that one of the goals of Ms Meloni’s visit was to pave the way for a meeting between Mr Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Ms Meloni’s decision to personally intercede with Mr Trump has caused some disquiet among EU allies, who are concerned that her visit could undermine bloc unity.

“If we start having bilateral discussions, obviously it will break the current dynamic,” French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned last week.

A European Commission spokeswoman said that while the EU alone could negotiate trade agreements, Ms Meloni’s “outreach is very welcome” and was coordinated with Brussels.

Following the April 17 meeting with Mr Trump, Ms Meloni will fly back to Rome on April 18 in time to host US Vice-President J.D. Vance, with whom she has a meeting planned.

Mr Trump’s threatened tariffs could have a major impact on Italy, the world’s fourth-largest exporter, which sends around 10 per cent of its exports to the US. AFP