Building bridges with Trump. On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with US President Donald Trump to discuss key global challenges, with a focus on deepening transatlantic cooperation.
- According to a statement from her office, the meeting “confirmed the importance of concluding a trade deal between the EU and the US” and also covered “prospects for the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague,” Netherlands.
- Strengthening economic ties with the United States has been a central pillar of Meloni’s foreign policy agenda, with the Prime Minister aiming to leverage its trusted relationship with Trump to keep the West united in an age of economic fragmentation.
Iran, in the balance. The two leaders also discussed the escalating crisis between Israel and Iran—an issue Italy has tried to address by promoting diplomatic re-engagement with Tehran.
- Meloni used the occasion to press for de-escalation and a return to negotiations, in line with Rome’s push to stabilise the Middle East.
- Italy has repeatedly voiced concern over a potential regional spillover and is working within the G7 to support a coordinated diplomatic approach.
Rome’s strategic posture. Speaking after the bilateral, Italian Minister for European Affairs Tommaso Foti called the exchange “a crucial moment to align views on top international dossiers, from the Middle East to transatlantic trade.”
- He underscored that “Italy is now a credible global actor, driven by Giorgia Meloni’s clear vision and pragmatic leadership—rooted in identity, national interest, and international responsibility.”
- Foti argued that Italy’s growing influence is “not a coincidence” but the result of a consistent and assertive diplomatic strategy under Meloni’s leadership.
NATO budget talks ahead. With the NATO summit in The Hague fast approaching, defence spending remains a key point of contention.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is floating a new defence spending model: 3.5% of GDP in direct military investment, plus 1.5% in related strategic infrastructure.
- The formula is meant to meet Trump’s longstanding call for a 5% spending target across the Alliance.
- Italy’s stance, as articulated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, is that Rome needs ten years to reach 5 per cent, along with “year-by-year flexibility.”
- The message: Italy is committed but needs time—and room to manoeuvre.
