Italy’s hard-right leader Giorgia Meloni, a close Trump ally, called on Europeans not to allow deep divisions to open up with Washington and said Rome would, in the hours ahead, call for an EU-U.S. summit to get diplomacy back on track.
“What is needed is an immediate summit between the United States, European states, and allies to talk frankly about how we intend to deal with the great challenges of today, starting with Ukraine, which together we have defended in recent years,” she said.
As it is, some European leaders will meet among themselves in London on Sunday at the invitation of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Zelenskyy is due to join them. A spokesperson for Starmer said he’d spoken to Zelenskyy andTrump on Friday night.
Starmer “retains unwavering support for Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took the opposite approach, thanking Trump for standing “bravely for peace.”
“Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” he posted on X.
Rasmus Buchsteiner, Hanne Cokelaere, Max Griera Andreu, Jan Cienski, Hans von der Burchard, Pieter Haeck and Seb Starcevic contributed reporting.
