Sawt Falasteen - Italy's Meloni, Trump talk up EU trade deal hopes

"I'm sure we can make a deal, and I'm here to help with that," Meloni told reporters as she began lunch with Trump in the Cabinet Room.

Trump said he "100 percent" believed Washington and Brussels could reach a deal but added it had to be a "fair deal."

Meloni has criticized Trump's "wrong" 20 percent duties on EU exports -- which he later suspended for 90 days -- but has looked to maintain ties with the mercurial Trump despite the chaos caused by his tariffs.

Described by Trump as a "fantastic leader" who shares many of his conservative views, Meloni is the first European leader to meet with Trump since his trade war with the bloc began.

The Italian premier said she believed in "unity" despite the trade tensions, and added of the United States: "If I didn't think it's a reliable partner I wouldn't be here."

Senior US officials earlier said Meloni and Trump had a "very special relationship," adding she could be a bridge for a deal on tariffs between Europe and Washington.

"Hopefully the Prime Minister and the President will be able to advance the ball down the field," one Trump administration official told reporters.

"We're open, we're available, we're ready to make deals for countries that take this seriously. So hopefully Italy and the EU are part of that."

Trump is, however, also expected to raise his demand for NATO allies to spend more on defense -- a huge demand for debt-laden Italy.

Amid the uncertainty Meloni has called for cool heads, urging Brussels not to retaliate while casting herself as the only EU figure able to potentially de-escalate the conflict.

Meloni was the only European leader to be invited to Trump's January 20 inauguration and US officials said she was "eye-to-eye with President on a lot of issues like immigration on Ukraine."

- 'Difficult period' -

Russia's war in Ukraine could be a touchy subject, however.

Italian newspapers on Wednesday floated the possibility that Meloni could end up in a trap similar to the White House meeting in February with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump and his Vice President JD Vance berated their guest in front of reporters.

Meloni has been a staunch ally of Ukraine and 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."

Meloni has acknowledged the uncertainty weighing on her trip.

"We know we're going through a difficult period, let's see how it goes in the coming hours. I don't feel any pressure, as you can imagine, for my next two days, let's say," she joked at an awards ceremony for Italian goods Tuesday.

"Surely, I am aware of what I represent and I am aware of what I am defending," she added.

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

Meloni has said the goal should be to eliminate so-called reciprocal duties on existing industrial products as part of a "zero for zero" formula, as floated by the European Commission earlier this month.

Meloni's decision to personally intercede with Trump has caused some disquiet among EU allies, concerned her visit could undermine the unity of the bloc.

"If we start having bilateral discussions, obviously it will break the current dynamic," France's Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned last week.

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

Following Thursday's meeting with Trump, Meloni will fly back to Rome on Friday in time to host JD Vance, with whom she has a meeting planned.

Trump's threatened tariffs could have a major impact on Italy, the world's fourth-largest exporter, which sends around 10 percent of its exports to the United States.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST