U.S. President Donald Trump and close ally Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed optimism about resolving trade tensions that have strained U.S.-European relations, ahead of talks at the White House.

Meloni is walking a tightrope between her ideological affinity to the president and her ties with European allies, who have criticised Trump’s tariff hikes and his decision to exclude the EU from talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.