Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni meets with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, flanked by Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Michael Waltz at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 4, 2025: Reuters
On Saturday, 4 January, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni met with US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The visit was part of Meloni’s diplomatic efforts ahead of Trump’s inauguration on 20 January, Reuters reports.
The meeting was held in a warm atmosphere. After the official introduction, Trump hailed Maloney as “a fantastic woman who has won Europe”.
Key issues for discussion
Although the details of the meeting were not disclosed, Italian media reported that Maloney and Trump discussed a number of key international issues:
- Thewar in Ukraine: possible steps to resolve the conflict and the role of Europe.
- Trade relations: strengthening economic ties between Italy and the United States.
- The situation in the Middle East: Italy’s role in regional stability.
- The fate of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, detained in Iran: the issue of her release is one of the biggest challenges for the Italian government.
Maloney will visit Rome to meet with current US President Joe Biden during his visit to Italy from 8 to 12 January. At the same time, Trump, who defeated Biden in the November election, is actively preparing to return to the White House.
The Italian leader is considered a potential reliable ally of Trump, given her conservative views and the stability of the right-wing coalition she leads.
Geopolitical challenges
The situation with the detained journalist Cecilia Sala, as well as the arrest of Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini in Italy, has caused diplomatic tensions. Iran is demanding the release of Abedini, whom the United States accuses of supplying parts for drones used in the 2023 attack on the US military.
Meloni joins a list of world leaders who have already visited Trump in Florida, including Argentine President Javier Milei, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
