Behind closed doors, Meloni discourages EU leaders from opposing Trump - Politico
Photo: US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Office of the President of Ukraine)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, during closed-door discussions at the EU summit, warned her colleagues that opposing the US President Donald Trump is a "bad idea," Politico informs.
Four unnamed sources told the outlet about Meloni’s warning. According to them, the Italian Prime Minister also stated that in the event of a conflict with the US, Europe could lose everything.
Sources cited by Politico said Meloni urged leaders to remain calm and not to write off Trump as crazy or unpredictable, as some officials privately described him amid a turbulent start to 2026 in international affairs.
At the same time, during a speech after the EU summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated that European leaders had learned a lesson this week: standing firm against Trump — but without escalation — is an effective strategy that should continue to be followed.
The outlet notes that the emergency EU summit was convened in response to Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on eight European countries due to their refusal to comply with his demand to take control of Greenland, which belongs to Denmark.
Trump’s blackmail
US President Donald Trump has recently been regularly stating that Greenland should become part of the US. According to him, he wants to protect the island from Russia and China.
Against this backdrop, the American leader warned that starting February 1, he would impose tariffs on several European countries until they agreed to his idea of buying Greenland.
A few days ago, Trump reversed his decision to impose the tariffs and said that an agreement had been reached regarding Greenland. The details of the agreement remain unknown.
