Camilla Jessen
At the NATO summit, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged U.S. President Donald Trump to stay strong on Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked U.S. President Donald Trump to use the same strong approach on Ukraine that he used to bring about the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
She spoke during the NATO summit in The Hague on June 25.
“I told President Trump we need the same determination to get two other important ceasefires,” Meloni said. “One in Ukraine, where Russia shows no signs of backing down, and one in Gaza.”
Trump’s Role in Iran-Israel Truce Raises Hopes
Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 24, following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. That ceasefire came after a major exchange of attacks, where Iran fired missiles at Tel Aviv, killing civilians—including five Ukrainian citizens.
Meloni welcomed the truce but said Ukraine also needs that kind of strong U.S. involvement, especially as Russia continues its attacks.
Zelenskyy Meets Trump Amid Concerns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump at the summit, as concern grows that U.S. support for Ukraine may be weakening.
This year’s NATO statement didn’t directly blame Russia for starting the war, unlike last year’s—a change that many noticed.
Still, all 32 NATO countries agreed to boost defense spending, aiming to reach 5% of GDP by 2035. NATO also said that helping Ukraine’s defense industry will count toward this target.
Meloni Stresses NATO Unity
Meloni, a close Trump ally and the only European leader invited to his 2025 inauguration, praised the spending goal and the unity shown by NATO.
“I think the unity of the alliance and its effort to grow stronger is very important, especially right now,” she said.
Trump had delayed his meeting with Zelenskyy until the final day of the NATO summit, after leaving the G7 summit in Canada early the week before.
As Ukraine continues to face Russian attacks, Meloni’s message to Trump was clear: strong words and actions are needed—not only for peace between Iran and Israel, but for defending Ukraine too.
