April 17 (UPI) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to ‘make the West great again,” she said during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday.
“The goal for me is to make the West great again and I think together we can do that,” Meloni said, gesturing towards Trump. “We can,” Trump replied.
Meloni, who leads her country’s right-leaning Brothers of Italy party, said the idea extends to all of the West, and not just Italy, the BBC reported. She spoke alongside Trump in the Oval Office and touched on her similarities with the U.S. president.
“I know when I speak about West mainly, I don’t speak about geographical space,” she said. “I speak about a civilization, and I want to make that civilization stronger.”
The two leaders also discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine and recent efforts to reach a cease-fire. Meloni said liberating Ukraine from Russian aggression is the primary goal.
“Together, we have been defending the freedom of Ukraine. Together,” she said, “we can bring lasting peace.”
Meloni has been a staunch supporter of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and of defending the country since Russia invaded more than three years ago.
Trump has proposed conditions for a cease-fire in the war and said during the meeting with Meloni that he expected to hear back from Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. Trump added during the news conference that he wants “the killing to stop.”
Trump and Vice President JD Vance have said they are heading to Rome soon to reciprocate for Meloni’s Thursday visit to the White House.
“She has taken Europe by storm,” Trump said of Meloni and her political presence in Italy.
