
Italy's Meloni scores diplomatic win as ‘bridge builder' by bringing US, EU to same table
Advertisement
It was a diplomatic score for
Meloni , who has been touted as a potential bridge-builder with the Trump administration, but so far had been unable to provide decisive breakthroughs amid increasingly strained relations with her main European partners.
'I am very proud to host two of the leaders of the EU and the US to start a dialogue,' Meloni told the press ahead of the trilateral meeting, while sitting at a round table with her counterparts.
Italy's premier recalled that she had proposed such an initiative a month earlier in the US capital when she met US President
Donald Trump at the White House.
'I hope that today can be a first meeting and a new beginning,' Meloni said, noting that 'for trade matters' the competence belonged to the EU Commission, but Rome's role was linked to 'the need and the desire to promote dialogue'.
Advertisement
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches ‘Your Party' to shake up UK politics
Former leftist Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced on Thursday he was forming a new political party alongside another ex-member of Britain's ruling party, as UK politics continues to splinter. Corbyn, who lost two elections as Labour leader in 2017 and 2019, and fellow independent MP Zarah Sultana said the new left-wing outfit would be called 'Your Party'. 'It's time for a new kind of political party. One that is rooted in our communities, trade unions and social movements,' they said in a joint statement. In their announcement, they called for a 'mass redistribution of wealth and power' and said they would 'keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel'. They also committed to a 'free and independent Palestine'. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pulled Labour to the centre since succeeding Corbyn as leader, faces growing calls within his party to recognise a Palestinian state. Corbyn, 76, stepped down as Labour leader after overseeing its worst result in decades, when it was trounced in the 2019 general election by the Conservatives, then led by Boris Johnson.


South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Ukraine's Zelensky proposes new anti-corruption bill after controversy
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he's sending a new anti-corruption bill to Ukraine's Parliament on Thursday, in a further attempt to defuse tensions after he approved changes to corruption laws that brought a public outcry and sharp criticism from the European Union. Opponents of the contentious law passed by lawmakers and approved by Zelensky earlier this week said that it stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. Zelensky said that it was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove 'Russian influence' from the fight against corruption, though he didn't provide examples of Russian meddling. In an abrupt change of course on Thursday, Zelensky unexpectedly said that he had drawn up a new draft bill on corruption that 'guarantees the real strengthening of the law and order system in Ukraine'. 'The most important thing is real tools, no Russian connections, and the independence of the [watchdogs],' he said in a Telegram post. The declaration appeared to bow to recent pressure that threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leaders after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. The protests haven't called for Zelensky's ouster, but they are the first major anti-government demonstrations since the war began.


South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Xi meets EU leaders, China's little-known oversupply problem: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing At a meeting in Beijing on Thursday, President Xi Jinping urged European leaders to 'make the right strategic choice' as the world grapples with profound changes. He made the remarks to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, who are in Beijing for a summit that some Chinese analysts expect to be tone-setting for China-EU relations. Six university students drowned in an industrial tank during a field trip to a mining operation owned by China's most prestigious gold producing company, according to state news agency Xinhua. US President Donald Trump meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on July 22. Photo: TNS The United States has struck new trade deals with Indonesia and the Philippines, in a move analysts say could indirectly undercut China by reshaping regional supply chains and tapping rare earth reserves – even if Beijing is not explicitly targeted.