It’s no mystery that Donald Trump likes Giorgia Meloni. After meeting the Italian far-right Prime Minister for the first time in Paris late last year, he described her as a “real live wire,” with whom he could “work to straighten out the world a little bit.

Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni talked up the chances of a trade deal between the US and Europe, as the Italian prime minister visited Washington. "There will be a trade deal, 100%," Trump said, "but it will be a fair deal", while Meloni said she was "sure" they could reach an agreement, later adding that her aim was to "make the West great again".

The Italian prime minister is the first European leader to meet the U.S. president since he hit pause on tariffs above 10% for most trading partners.

President Emmanuel Macron of France hosted a lunch with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy, as European delegations converged on Paris.

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Steve Witkoff and Marco Rubio in an attempt to carve out room for Europe in Washington’s talks with Moscow.