white house –

U.S. President Joe Biden met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni at the White House on Friday as he faces challenges in maintaining support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.

The meeting, their second face-to-face meeting in seven months, will focus primarily on Italy’s G7 presidency, with Meloni leading an agenda consistent with Biden’s: defending the international system and multilateralism . For both leaders, support for Ukraine has been central to that effort.

Despite initial concerns from Biden and Western allies when Meloni’s far-right Brotherhood of Italy party takes power in October 2022, the prime minister has demonstrated her country’s commitment to supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. war effort.

Meloni visited Kyiv last week and chaired the first video conference of G7 leaders during Italy’s rotating presidency in the Ukrainian capital. She has signed an agreement to provide military and technical assistance to Kyiv until the end of the year.

Meloni also persuaded Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, also a far-right leader, to drop his opposition to the EU’s $54 billion package for Ukraine at an emergency summit in early February.

However, both Biden and Meloni face resistance within Ukraine. Biden is dealing with stubborn Republicans in the House who have blocked passage of a Senate-approved foreign aid package that would include $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and $35 billion in aid to Israel and Taiwan.

In Italy, military aid to Kiev is unpopular with voters and there are differing views within Meloni’s coalition over the war in Ukraine and Rome’s relationship with Moscow, with some members advocating for an early diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Biden and Meloni realize that the longer the war in Ukraine drags on, the harder it will be to resist pressure from domestic groups and voters who want the war to end. However, both countries also realize that a Russian victory in Ukraine could mean the end of the European security system as we know it, said Dario Cristiani, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

“Italy will work to promote greater cohesion and increase military and financial support in the context of the G7, while also trying to find ways to strengthen defense production in Europe and the transatlantic region to support Ukraine’s important struggle against Russia’s imperialist war. Invasion,” he told VOA.

The two leaders will also discuss ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Rome and some other U.S. allies abstained from voting on a December UN General Assembly resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

However, in January, Italian lawmakers joined their EU colleagues in passing a non-binding symbolic resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire, conditional on the disbandment of Palestinian militant groups and the release of all hostages they are holding.

Biden and Meloni agreed on other issues, including maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region and coordinating on challenges and opportunities posed by China. In December, Meloni’s government ended Italy’s participation in Beijing’s Belt and Road trade and investment initiative, which has been a concern for Washington.

Both governments are also working on finding frameworks for artificial intelligence and international migration. Meloni had called for a naval blockade a few years ago to prevent migrants from “invading” Europe across the Mediterranean, but she has now reversed her approach to the issue, hosting a summit in Rome in January to strengthen international support for Africa. investment in hopes of slowing the growth of African migration. Migration on the continent was a key theme during her G7 presidency.

Biden and Meloni are scheduled to meet again in Fasano, Italy, in June, where the prime minister will host G7 leaders for their annual summit.

Margaret Beshear contributed to this report.