Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joins world leaders seeking early talks with US President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with US President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Saturday, in a significant visit ahead of her upcoming meeting with outgoing President Joe Biden in Rome.
The informal meeting, confirmed by sources familiar with the trip, underscores Meloni's aspirations to strengthen ties with the incoming administration, according to The New York Times.
Meloni, a prominent conservative leader in Europe, has been vocal in her admiration for Trump. Her visit to his Florida estate places her among a select group of world leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Argentina's President Javier Milei, who have sought early engagement with Trump, who is set to take office on Jan. 20.
Meloni's boosters see the visit as a strategic move to position her as Trump's primary European ally. Analysts predict she could play a pivotal role in mediating tensions between Trump and other European leaders, particularly as the president-elect has threatened a trade war with Europe and signaled a reduction in US support for NATO and Ukraine.
- Focus of talks
Subjects discussed at the Mar-a-Lago meeting remain undisclosed, but observers suggest they may have included geopolitical issues.
Meloni is expected to have raised concerns about the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Iran, which took place shortly after Italy detained an Iranian national accused of supplying drone components to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Iran is known for detaining foreign nationals to leverage their release in exchange for concessions.
“Meloni's push for this meeting demonstrates her determination to secure a strong relationship with Trump,” said a source briefed on the discussions, the Times added.
Meloni's international influence has been further amplified by her rapport with key figures like business mogul Elon Musk, a key ally of Trump, which her supporters believe could enhance her standing on the global stage once Trump takes office.
The visit comes just days before Meloni hosts President Biden for an official visit to Italy and the Vatican on Jan. 9-12.
While Biden's trip is expected to focus on multilateral cooperation, Meloni's engagement with Trump highlights her dual-track approach to navigating relations with the US under both current and future administrations.
