Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who could offer a possible bridge between the Trump administration and Europe, has arrived in Downing Street ahead of the defence summit hosted by British prime minister Keir Starmer.
The Italian leader spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump yesterday evening. Her office said the call was held “in view of her meeting in London tomorrow with the President of Ukraine,” offering no further details.
Highly indebted Italy is projecting its defence spending will hit 1.61% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2027. That is below a current 2% Nato alliance target, which Trump wants raised to 5%.
Meloni, who came to power as a staunch supporter of Ukraine but has good relationships with the Trump administration, has welcomed a proposal from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to exclude defence from EU limits on government spending.
Starmer has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, up from the current 2.3 percent rate. He will likely be urging other European countries to also boost their defence spending as the US expects Europe to take the lead in defending Ukraine.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, says she will “highlight Europe’s ongoing support to Ukraine” during the London defence summit.