Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on March 18 called for pragmatism to prevent a “vicious cycle” of tariffs between the European Union and the United States.
“I believe that it is not wise to fall into the temptation of reprisals that become a vicious cycle in which everyone loses,” she said. “I am convinced that we must continue working concretely and pragmatically to find common ground and avoid a trade war that would benefit no one, neither the United States nor Europe.”
“I am not convinced that responding to tariffs with more tariffs is necessarily a good deal,” Meloni said. “That is why I believe Italy’s energy should be spent on seeking sensible solutions between the United States and Europe, guided more by logic than by instinct, in a spirit of mutual respect and economic pragmatism.”
She also said tit-for-tat transatlantic tariffs would reduce Europeans’ purchasing power.
“Tariffs can easily lead to induced inflation, reducing families’ purchasing power, prompting central banks to raise interest rates, and ultimately slowing economic growth,” Meloni said.
She was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January, which came just more than a fortnight after she met him for talks at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.
As well as advocating for pragmatism on tariffs, Meloni also struck a supportive tone on Trump’s proposal to establish a 30-day cease-fire in Ukraine as a possible pathway to peace while ruling out sending Italian troops to the country.
“The deployment of Italian troops in Ukraine has never been on the agenda,” she said.
Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a limited cease-fire, in which Russia and Ukraine would stop targeting each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, following a phone call on March 18.
“We support the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump in this regard,” Meloni said, saying that the proposed cease-fire deal is a “first significant step, one that should lead to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, backed by solid, long-term security guarantees.”
“We do not believe that the proposal to send European troops [to Ukraine], initially put forward by the United Kingdom and France, is a viable option, because it is too complex, too risky, and ultimately ineffective,” Meloni said.
She also questioned how the European Commission was looking to massively ramp up defense spending across the continent, criticizing its decision to brand the project “ReArm.”
“Some have accused me of wanting to change the name to mislead citizens. But in reality, I objected because I believe ‘Rearm Europe’ is a misleading term. Why? Because strengthening our defense capabilities does not simply mean buying more weapons,” Meloni said.
“Europe must equip itself to do its part, but it is at best naive—and at worst, dangerous madness—to think that Europe can stand alone without NATO ... Those who suggest that Italy must choose between Europe and the United States are either doing so for political convenience or because they haven’t realized that the U.S. election is over and that Donald Trump has been given the mandate to lead the United States.”
