US President Trump and Italian Prime Minister Meloni demonstrated unity during their meeting. Trump said that he believes "100 percent" in concluding a trade deal with the EU.
US President Donald Trump clearly felt comfortable in the company of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Trump even said himself that he liked her very much and that he thought she was doing a fantastic job. Meloni also seemed relaxed - when Trump allegedly jokingly interrupted her, she responded in kind.
Meloni said that she believes in the unity of the West - in an attempt to present Europe and the United States as natural partners in Western civilization. Surely the Italian leader believes in him too, Trump interjected. "That too&rdquo,&rdquo, Meloni replied with a smile. According to her, they just need to talk and find a way to meet "in the middle", writes ARD. What Meloni is most likely referring to is a trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, which would avoid tariffs.
"It's a lot of money"
Trump agreed that there will definitely be a trade agreement with the Europeans, ARD explains. According to the American president, it will be concluded before the end of the 90-day pause in increased tariffs for countries around the world, including the EU. Trump even said that he is 100% sure that there will be an agreement.
The deadline for the end of the pause in tariffs imposed by the American president is July 8. Although it is not difficult to conclude a trade deal, there is no rush, Trump noted. After all, the United States benefits a lot from tariffs, the president says. "Our minimum rate is ten percent - we lowered it because that was the right thing to do before we decided what the final rate would be. And now we're making a lot of money, which has never been the case before”, Trump said, quoted by ARD.
Contradictions and flattery
Trump again repeated his usual complaints - in his words, practically all countries in the world have screwed the US in the past. But that's over now. This time, however, the American president did not repeat his accusations that the EU was created to screw the US.
Once again, the contradictions of Trump's customs policy became apparent, ARD writes. On the one hand, import duties into the US were imposed with the idea of bringing production back to the country. Trump, on the other hand, wants to make deals that reduce or eliminate tariffs altogether.
It’s not clear whether Meloni has a better understanding of what Trump wants from the EU since the White House meeting — ideas she could share later in Brussels. Like other Oval Office guests before her, she also tried to curry favor with Trump: inviting him to Italy and promising that her country would import more liquefied natural gas from the United States. "Even though we have some problems on both sides of the Atlantic, I think it’s time to try to sit down and find solutions," she said. "But my goal is to make the West great again, and I think we can do it together."