Macron, Meloni Deepen 2021 Alliance With Defence and Nuclear Deals as Trump Rift Reshapes Ties
Updated
Updated · FRANCE 24 English · Jun 25
Macron, Meloni Deepen 2021 Alliance With Defence and Nuclear Deals as Trump Rift Reshapes Ties
3 articles · Updated · FRANCE 24 English · Jun 25
Summary
Antibes hosted Macron and Meloni's first bilateral summit under their 2021 strategic-alliance treaty, with both sides aiming to turn a recent thaw into closer cooperation.
Thursday's agenda centers on agreements in defence, nuclear energy and space, including a roadmap highlighting the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air-defence system supplied to Ukraine and a satellite project to rival Starlink.
Meloni arrived days after breaking with Donald Trump over what she called his constant, unprovoked attacks, weakening her earlier effort to act as a bridge between Europe and the US president.
France and Italy still differ on migration policy and on sending troops to Ukraine, but they share opposition to the EU-Mercosur trade deal and are trying to steady ties between the bloc's second- and third-largest economies.