After the Vance attack

Meloni warns of a split in the West

"Europe is far from lost," Meloni told the audience in the USA.

(Bild: AFP)

Giorgia Meloni addresses America's right-wingers via video link at the right-wing conservative CPAC conference - and has a clear message: Europe is not lost. But her appearance raises questions: How does her pro-Western rhetoric fit in with Trump's Ukraine course?

Meloni campaigned near the US capital Washington for the cohesion of the West, the US partnership with Europe and support for Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. "Europe is far from lost, and it will never be lost," said Meloni at the annual CPAC.

"Opponents hope that Trump will turn his back on us"
The meeting traditionally brings together Trump supporters, right-wing nationalists and the religious right. US President Donald Trump was also on the list of speakers. "Our opponents hope that President Trump will turn his back on us. (...) I bet those hoping for a split will be proven wrong," said Meloni.

"Mistakes have been made"
"I know that some of you may see Europe as distant or even lost. I tell you it is not, but mistakes have been made," the right-wing nationalist Meloni continued. In her speech, she tried to match the tone of CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference): she railed against left-liberalism, elites, "woke" ideologies, "cancel culture" or "mainstream media".

At the same time, she pleaded for the unity of the West, which must protect itself against attacks from outside as well as attacks from within.

Warning of a burgeoning trade war
Meloni praised the speech by US Vice President J.D. Vance at the Munich Security Conference, with which the Republican had offended his European allies just over a week ago. Vance had rightly stated "that before we discuss security, we need to know what we are defending".

In the same breath, she warned against a trade war between the US and Europe. "We don't need to say how intertwined our economies are and how the unpredictable results of a trade conflict would play into the hands of other major powers."

Standing by Ukraine
Meloni also addressed the topic of Ukraine: "Happiness depends on freedom, and freedom depends on courage," she said. Together we have proven this over the past three years in Ukraine, "where a proud people are fighting for their freedom against brutal aggression". Now we must continue to work together to create a "just and lasting peace".

This could only be achieved with the contribution of all. Above all, strong leadership is needed. This is what US President Trump stands for. The latter recently referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "dictator" and talked down to Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.