Fall in line behind Donald Trump or act like a European power: Since the American president put his decision to seal the fate of Ukraine on paper by sidelining his former European allies, Giorgia Meloni's Italy has been faced with a historic choice. Having succeeded in attracting Trump's attention, and benefiting from her privileged relationship with Elon Musk, a pillar of the new power in Washington with whom she has significant ideological affinities, the far-right president of the council has assets and access to the transatlantic relationship unequalled on the continent.

It remains to be seen whether she will use them to weigh in with the Europeans on the outcome of the negotiation process launched by Trump and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, or whether Meloni will break ranks, much to the satisfaction of American allies who share with her a fundamentally bilateral conception of international relations. If the few vague statements coming out of Rome on Thursday, February 13 were to be believed, the choice has not yet been made, or at least, not yet assumed.

"Dialogue for peace is a positive thing. Anything that moves in the direction of peace is positive. The number one priority is peace," Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the Italian Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs, told journalists gathered in the Chamber of Deputies. The Italian foreign minister had recovered from the fever which, according to his entourage, had prevented him from attending the meeting of six representatives of European and British diplomacy held the previous day in Paris. Italy had been represented only by a Secretary of State.

You have 62.77% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.