ITALY PERSPECTIVE

Rome, June 14, 2026. Giorgia Meloni comes to the Evian G7 with an stated ambition: to position Italy as the linchpin of the Atlantic bridge. The Italian Prime Minister will intervene across all five scheduled sessions—Ukraine, Middle East and Gulf, international partnerships, shared economic growth, artificial intelligence—a full presence that signals Rome's appetite for this summit under French presidency.

The most anticipated bilateral remains the one with Donald Trump. Meloni acknowledged not having spoken with him for a long time, lending this encounter particular weight. Italy has spent months playing the transatlantic loyalty card, seeking to convert this proximity into concrete influence. Trump's agenda, described by a senior White House official to La Repubblica, is nonetheless centered on his priorities: bilaterals with Gulf states, Egypt, India, Middle Eastern leaders on Iran, and the prestige dinner at Versailles hosted by Macron. Zelensky, meanwhile, receives only a working session on Ukraine, without a direct meeting with Trump.

On this matter, Rome pushes a distinct proposal. Before Parliament on June 11, Meloni advocated for an authoritative figure to negotiate on behalf of the European Union with Moscow: Europe cannot present itself in disarray when facing Russia. The reception was cool—French, German, and British ambassadors (E3 format) received at the Russian Foreign Ministry faced a rebuff, with Deputy Minister Galuzin categorizing their countries among those pursuing destructive policies.

On the Iranian front, Meloni adopts calculated restraint. While Washington signals that an agreement with Tehran is imminent and Europeans could regain a role by assisting in mine-clearing at the Strait of Hormuz, the Prime Minister chooses to wait: "Let's see the facts first." A reserve that contrasts with Macron's diplomacy-as-theater approach, constructed across two venues: the Hotel Royal at Evian and the grandeur of Versailles.

Even before the formal opening, concrete European progress emerged: Ursula von der Leyen announced member states' approval to begin the first chapter of accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova to the EU. Rome views this as additional leverage in peace discussions. For Italy, Evian's success will be measured less by final declarations than by Meloni's ability to shape who speaks for Europe to Moscow, and to confirm that Rome remains Washington's preferred European interlocutor.