Description: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted a trilateral meeting in Rome between US Vice – President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She labeled the meeting as a potential new beginning of US – EU ties as both focus on key global issues such as the war in Ukraine and the imposition of tariffs. Meloni aimed at reestablishing Italy’s diplomatic and political posturing within the EU serving as bridge between the EU and the US in overcoming recent rifts on the foreign policy front. Rome served as the diplomatic capital this weekend as world leaders gathered for Pope Leo’s inauguration, where Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy met with US and EU representatives ahead of a crucial week in the Russia – Ukraine negotiations.
Impact: The trilateral meeting in Rome emphasizes that despite strategic differences the EU and the US over the years have built a codependent partnership which largely influences global issues. Trump’s imposition on tariffs and his favoritism towards Russian President Vladimir Putin have started to stabilize, as the US and the EU are set to commence trade negotiations in the upcoming week, while Trump has also considerably changed the narrative towards his Russian counterpart. Meloni by hosting the meeting aimed at raising Italy’s diplomatic capital within the EU as the country was excluded from the recent initiative which saw European leaders visit Ukraine’s capital. The significance of the meeting underscores a slight shift mostly from the US, as transatlantic relations once again would begin to reconstruct on an elementary level.