Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is preparing to embark on a high-stakes diplomatic mission to Washington this week as Italy positions itself at the center of renewed transatlantic trade negotiations.
In a packed agenda, Meloni is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday before returning home for talks with U.S. Deputy J.D. Vance at Palazzo Chigi on Friday.
The visit, initially planned to restore dialogue amid rising tensions, has gained new momentum following the temporary suspension for 90 days of increased tariffs on imports between the United States and the European Union.
Meloni now reportedly sees an opportunity to mediate, aiming to lay the groundwork for a historic free trade agreement between Europe and the United States.
“Meloni’s trip is not just about pursuing an Italian agenda,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said during a visit to Japan. “It is about strengthening ties with the U.S. and pushing for the creation of a large Euro-American free trade market.”
As reported by Il Giornale, the Italian delegation will arrive in Washington with several proposals on how to revive the U.S.-EU relationship. Meloni plans to present a detailed account highlighting the benefits enjoyed by American tech giants within the EU’s tax framework while highlighting Europe’s concerns over U.S. tariff policies.
Rome will also emphasize its increasing commitment to NATO defense spending, pledging an additional €11 billion to meet alliance targets — a move expected to resonate with a Trump administration that has expressed its frustration at the lack of enthusiasm by EU member states to pay sufficiently for their own defense. An agreement to raise the required share of GDP spent on military spending was made back in 2014.
This investment is coupled with plans to purchase advanced American defense systems, while further discussions will focus on easing bureaucratic hurdles within the EU that burden both European and American businesses
Ahead of last month’s European Council, Meloni told Italian lawmakers that the European Union’s commitment to regulation and bureaucracy had been to the bloc’s detriment.
“If Europe thinks it can survive in this phase by continuing to claim to hyper-regulate everything instead of freeing up the many energies it has, it will simply not survive,” she warned.
Meloni is also expected to advocate for reforms to the European Union’s Green Deal, which Italy argues currently favors Chinese manufacturers and gives China a competitive imbalance in the green technology market.
The Italian premier has long been opposed to the ideological nature of Brussels’ green policy, criticizing its approach in December last year when she claimed the green transition has “paid too high a price to ideology” and called for a balanced approach that doesn’t undermine economic growth.”
“In the desert, nothing is green,” she added.
Energy security will also be on the table this week, with Italy expected to agree to Trump’s demand that the European Union source more of its energy from the United States, provided more competitive pricing for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be negotiated.
Meloni will be the first European leader to meet with President Trump since the initial announcement of tariffs on what he called “Liberation Day,” claiming the United States had been taken for a ride with imbalanced trade policies for too long.
She is seen by many to be the best person to mediate, having built up a rapport with the Trump administration and aligning herself with many of its values.
Following the tariff announcement, the Italian premier urged Brussels not to retaliate, saying during a televised interview earlier this month, “I am not convinced that the best choice is to respond to duties with other duties.
“The impact could be greater on our economy than what happens outside our borders. We need to open a frank discussion with the Americans, with the goal, from my point of view, of removing duties, not multiplying them.”
