Trump and Meloni talk up EU tariff agreement

Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni hit an optimistic note about a possible US-EU tariffs deal on Thursday as the far-right Italian prime minister mounted a charm offensive at the White House.

- Danny Kemp

Casting herself as the only European who can de-escalate Trump's trade war, Meloni highlighted their conservative common ground and said she wanted to "make the West great again." "There will be a trade deal, 100 per cent," Trump said during her visit. Meloni said she was "sure" they could reach a deal. The two leaders struck a warm tone during a working lunch and a meeting in the Oval Office, with Trump hailing the 48-year-old Italian premier as "fantastic."

Meloni is the first leader from Europe to visit the Republican since he slapped 20 per cent tariffs on EU exports, which he has since suspended for 90 days. The Italian leader said Trump had accepted an invitation to visit Rome in the "near future" and that he might also meet European leaders there.

"Even if we have some problems between the two shores of the Atlantic, it is the time that we try to sit down and find solutions," she said. Meloni highlighted their shared views on immigration and "woke" ideology and added: "The goal for me is to make the West great again, and I think we can do it together."