Atlanticism's last stand: Meloni’s bid to keep EU engaged with US

As some EU leaders consider the consequences of an apparent US disengagement from Europe’s security, Italy’s premier remains one of the strongest advocates for keeping the continent under American protection.

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni arrived in Brussels for the extraordinary EU summit yesterday sticking by a mantra she had pitched at last Sunday’s informal summit in London: European defence is not viable without full NATO involvement.

This position differs from French President Emmanuel Macron, who is helming the efforts of those interpreting recent US political shifts under President Donald Trump as a signal for Europe to enhance its strategic autonomy.

While Macron has gone so far as to propose extending France’s nuclear protection to the entire continent as an added security guarantee for EU allies, Meloni reaffirmed her commitment to traditional Atlanticism—a doctrine advocating a close alliance between the US and Europe on political, economic, and defence matters since World War II.

As Europe grapples with shifting geopolitical realities, Meloni is seeking to mediate between EU leaders, many of whom seem now open to supporting Macron’s vision of maintaining NATO ties while also strengthening European defence capabilities in the event the US pulls the plug on the transatlantic alliance.

Keeping the Western camp united

The push for European self-reliance is gaining traction beyond France. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recently intensified the debate following tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tweeting: “It became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”

For Italy, bridging these ideological gaps is crucial to maintaining NATO unity. “What is evident in this situation is the need to maintain unity—not only within the European Union but more generally within the Western camp,” as one diplomatic source said ahead of the EU summit.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, in Brussels for a meeting of his centre-right European People’s party, reinforced this perspective: “Guaranteeing Ukraine’s security and that of Europe without a strong transatlantic relationship and without NATO is absolutely impossible.”

Meloni’s close ties to Trump

Beyond her commitment to transatlantic unity, Meloni remains one of Europe’s few potential ‘Trump whisperers’ since she is a close ally – Trump has hailed her as “a fantastic woman” and “a great leader” – and Meloni has leveraged this and wants to maintain the connection.

In January, she travelled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to coordinate efforts for the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was imprisoned in Iran. This diplomatic success boosted her domestic standing.

In a recent speech, Meloni sought to quell concerns about Trump’s commitment to Europe: “Our adversaries hope Trump will move away, but that won’t happen. I know him: he is strong and effective. I bet we will prove them wrong.”

A ‘legally questionable’ NATO compromise

In this sense and in a bid to seek a middle ground between Trump’s opposition to Ukraine’s NATO membership and the need to offer Kyiv security assurances, Meloni pitched an unusual solution.

She suggested extending to Ukraine NATO’s Article 5 – its collective defence clause – without the territory being granted actual membership of the alliance. This would place Ukraine under NATO’s protective umbrella while avoiding a formal commitment.

Political historian Lorenzo Castellani of Rome’s Luiss Guido Carli University said the plan would be “legally questionable and difficult to implement on a political level”.

“It basically means that if Putin breaks the truce after the conflict is frozen, NATO steps in. Meloni is aware that this sort of deterrence plan would never be accepted by Russia,” said the expert.

Moreover, deploying Italian troops in Ukraine remains politically untenable. “Italian public opinion is much more opposed to increasing military spending and sending weapons to Ukraine compared to France, Germany, or the UK,” Castellani noted.

Domestic political challenges

Meloni also has obstacles within her own government. Her coalition partners, Forza Italia and the League, are divided on military support for Ukraine and European defence strategy.

Forza Italia, led by Foreign Minister Tajani, is fully aligned with Meloni’s cautious approach. The party backs military aid to Kyiv and endorses the European Commission’s ReArm Europe plan, which aims to boost EU defence capabilities.

By contrast, the League remains sceptical of EU defence initiatives and has placed its faith in Trump’s potential negotiations with Russia. Finance Minister and League heavyweight Francesco Giorgetti have even criticised the EU’s defence strategy as “hasty and illogical”.

So Meloni is navigating a careful path to maintain a tilt towards the US, both to play to her political strengths but also as a means of preserving her domestic power base. But if her profile currently appears low amid the crisis summitry, as events develop, she may well be pitched into a more front-of-house role.