Donald Trump praised Italy’s PM Meloni.Meloni shared a photo of his meeting with Trump.Possible discussion on the arrest of Italian journalist in Iran.
Washington. US President-elect Donald Trump praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, calling her a “wonderful woman” when she visited his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. He told the people present there, “This is very exciting. I am here with the Prime Minister of Italy, a wonderful woman. “They have really taken Europe by storm.”
Meloni, a member of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, takes office in October 2022 and is considered to have good relations with the Trump administration, especially with his aide Elon Musk. While major European countries France and Germany are going through political instability, the stability of Meloni’s coalition government in Italy and his conservative views make him a natural ally for the newly elected US leader.
Trump and Meloni were also joined by Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Mike Waltz, whom Trump has nominated for Secretary of State and National Security Advisor (NSA). Meloni posted a photo of herself with Trump on Instagram and wrote, “Great evening with Donald Trump, thanks for the great welcome – ready to work together.”
However, no information has been given about what was discussed in this meeting. But like other leaders, the Italian leader is also trying to strengthen relations with Trump before his inauguration on January 20. However, it is being said that a possible topic on the agenda of the talks between the two leaders is the custody of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was arrested in Iran last month.
Italy’s Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on January 3 that Sala, a reporter for the Italian daily newspaper Il Foglio, had been detained in Tehran. Iranian state news agency IRNA said on January 6 that Salah was detained on December 19 after “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Sala’s detention has created a diplomatic headache for Italy, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying his government is working “non-stop” to bring him home. In a sign of growing ties between the Italian leader and Trump’s camp, Rome-based cybersecurity expert and Elon Musk ally Andrea Stroppa posted a fake, AI photo of Meloni standing with Trump and Musk on X . All three are wearing clothes reminiscent of the Roman Empire.
Meloni will also meet President Joe Biden during her visit to Rome this week. A White House press statement last month said Biden would thank him “for his strong leadership of the G7 over the past year and discuss the important challenges facing the world.” His trip to Florida comes after he dined with Trump and Musk during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last month, which Trump later described to the New York Post as a positive experience.
Trump and Meloni, though politically similar, do not necessarily agree on the world’s most important conflicts. Meloni has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters, meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky dozens of times since Russia’s invasion. Meanwhile, Musk and Meloni forged their strong friendship in the summer of 2023. The Tesla founder had participated in Meloni’s Brothers of Italy political conference held in Atrezu in December last year.
Tags: Donald Trump, Elon Musk
FIRST PUBLISHED : January 6, 2025, 7:39 PM IST