Meloni: Don't consider Trump “crazy or unpredictable.” The Italian prime minister warns that fighting against him would be a mistake for Europe
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tried to ease tensions between the European Union and US President Donald Trump, according to sources attending the emergency summit in Brussels.
Giorgia Meloni and Donald Trump PHOTO: AFP
In a closed-door meeting, Meloni told European leaders that confronting Trump would be “counter-productive”, warning that Europe has everything to lose from a possible conflict with the United States.
In private conversations, Meloni urged his colleagues not to consider Trump “unpredictable” or “crazy”as had been described by some officials, and take a calmer approach, writes Politico.
After the summit, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the strategy “firm but non-escalating” against Trump has yielded results and should be continued.
The emergency summit was called after President Trump threatened tariffs on eight European countries that opposed his bid to take control of Greenland from Denmark.
The threat caused negative reactions in the financial markets, and the US president later indicated that he wanted an amicable settlement.
Reports of Meloni's intervention suggest Italy is taking a more cautious approach than other European states.
On Friday, Meloni welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Rome for talks on defense and industrial cooperation.
EU leaders decided to meet again next month for a session of “strategic thinking” about how Europe can adapt to a new world order dominated by the great powers, with a reduced role for international law.
According to an official present at the talks, “most leaders saw the last few weeks as a turning point and stressed the need for Europe to act quickly to defend its core interests.”
