‘Make West great again’: Trump, Meloni optimistic on EU tariffs deal

As the two leaders met at the White House to discuss potential tariffs between the US and the European Union, both the leaders of the two countries’ economic uncertainty.

Meloni has portrayed herself as the only European capable of defusing Trump’s trade war, and she has emphasized their conservative common ground, saying that she wants to “make the West great again.”

Trump declared on Thursday that a “trade agreement will exist, 100 percent,” while Meloni claimed she was “sure” they could reach a deal.

Trump praised the 48-year-old Italian leader as “fantastic” during a working lunch and a meeting at the Oval Office.

“Banking on Meloni”

According to Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, who is a White House correspondent, European leaders “are banking on Meloni” to make Trump’s “global message” “sound a little better.”

Since he imposed 20% tariffs on EU exports, which he has since suspended for 90 days, Meloni is the first leader from Europe to visit him.

The Italian leader claimed Trump had accepted a “near future” invitation to travel to Rome and that he might meet with European leaders there.

It’s important to sit down and try to find solutions, she said, even if there are issues between the two Atlantic coasts.

Meloni cited their shared opinions on “woke” ideology and immigration, saying, “I believe we can accomplish this together. The goal is to make the West great again.”

Trump said he was “in no hurry” while he said he was confident in a potential deal with the 27-nation bloc he has accused of trying to defraud the US.

Trump continued, “Everyone wants to make a deal, and we’ll make the deal for them” if they don’t.

Federiga Bindi, a professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that Meloni must find a balance between trying to please the entire European bloc and the interests of the Italian electorate.

“I believe that Meloni is attempting to take lessons from Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister. He was a model for European politics, just like she is now. Bindi outlined how Berlusconi used his relationship with George W. Bush.

“Berlusconi pulled it,” he claimed. I’m not sure if Meloni can pull it off with Trump. Berlusconi’s real friendship with Bush, which is hardly possible with Trump, is what makes it different.

“Be smart,”

Trump&nbsp reiterated his criticism of Europe, claiming that NATO needs to “get smart” about immigration and increase defense spending.

Trump told Meloni he wasn’t a “big fan” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the conflict with Russia in Ukraine remained a sensitive subject.