The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Biden, Italy's Meloni meet as Ukraine, political headwinds roil
President Joe Biden is set to host Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Friday for talks at the White House as the Democratic administration struggles to persuade House Republicans to pass legislation that would replenish aid to Ukraine and as both leaders face political headwinds at home.
Biden has sought to assure European leaders that the U.S. remains behind Ukraine even as he’s been unable to win passage of a supplemental foreign aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine in addition to $35 billion for Israel and Taiwan. The legislation has passed the Senate, but Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to put it up for a vote in the House.
Ahead of Meloni’s visit, White House officials said they don’t have good answers for allies about finding an end to the impasse with House Republicans and reopening the American spigot of aid to Kyiv that’s badly needed as Ukraine tries to fend off Russia’s invasion.
“I can’t, again, provide a portal into the thinking of House Republicans right now, but it’s obviously having a demonstrable impact not just on our national security but the security of allies and partners around the world,” White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton said.
Biden, along with top Democrats and Senate Republican Leader Mitch Mcconnell, passionately urged Johnson during a White House meeting this week to take up the foreign aid package, but Johnson responded by saying that Congress “must take care of America’s needs first.”
It will be the second meeting between Biden and Meloni in about seven months. Both leaders are
grappling with war in the Middle East and Europe and looking to shore up their public standing.
Biden, 81, has begun ramping for an all-but-certain rematch in November against former President Donald Trump, the likely GOP nominee. Biden’s bid for a second term is complicated by the electorate’s concern about his age, frustration among some Democrats over his handling of the Israel-hamas war and mixed feelings about the state of the American economy.
Polls show that Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy Party, which swept into power in 2022, still enjoys the most support in Italy, but it has seen a noticeable decline over the last year. Her bloc faced a setback this week when the candidate she campaigned for was defeated in regional elections on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
Meloni’s popularity will be further tested with four more regional elections in 2024 and nationwide elections for Italy’s representatives to the European parliament set for June.
“Meloni and Biden both for different reasons seem to be in difficulty so this meetingcanshowthepublicopinion that there’s a solid relationship with allies that are considered important,” said Gianluca Pastori, an analyst
at the ISPI think tank in Milan.
Meloni’s visit to Washington comes after she traveled to Kyiv last week to host a Group of Seven leaders meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Leaders of Belgium, Canada and the EU Commission joined Meloni in Kyiv, and Biden and other leaders joined by video. Italy assumed its one-year presidency of the G7 in January.
During her recent visit to Kyiv, Meloni reaffirmed Italian support for Ukraine and signedasecuritycooperation agreement for military and technical assistance through the end of the year. Italy is also committed to helping Ukraine reconstruct historical monuments.
There was trepidation in the Biden administration when Meloni rose to power as the head of Italy’s first farright-led government since the end of World War II. But the two have found common ground over the cause of Ukraine, and Biden heaped praise on Meloni and Italy for its efforts to back Kyiv when she visited Washington in July.
Theleaders’agendaalsois expected to cover efforts by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar to brokeranextendedcease-fire between Israel and Hamas, and Italy’s priorities for a G7 presidency.