Europe's leaders close ranks as they face barbs and pressure from Trump

By — Giada Zampano, Associated Press Giada Zampano, Associated Press By — Sam McNeil, Associated Press Sam McNeil, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/europes-leaders-close-ranks-as-they-face-barbs-and-pressure-from-trump Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Europe's leaders close ranks as they face barbs and pressure from Trump World Jul 2, 2026 5:37 PM EDT ROME (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on Italy's premier have had an unintended consequence. After Trump questioned Italy's reliability as a wartime ally and claimed Giorgia Meloni had groveled for his attention, European leaders rallied to Meloni's side, thawing what had been a frosty relationship over her hard-right political roots. READ MORE: Trump deepens the dustup with Italy's Meloni, who says his 'unprovoked attacks are senseless' It is the latest example of how the often divisive American president is helping to draw Europe closer together. European leaders are finding more reasons to coordinate on defense, tariffs and foreign policy as they confront wars in Ukraine and Iran, a ballooning trade deficit with China, and threats from Russia. That leaves Trump, who has often preferred to negotiate with European countries individually, with less ability to do so, analysts say. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. "Most of the mainstream leaders realize that Europe is getting squeezed between China and America, and so, if not now, then when?" said Sudha David-Wilp, vice president at the German Marshall Fund. "They need to act as a bloc in order to maintain Europe's place in the world." This newfound European unity could be tested next week at a NATO summit in Turkey. European leaders rally around Meloni Meloni's spat with Trump has helped her strengthen ties with European leaders once wary of her party's post-fascist roots. A pivotal moment came in March when she wouldn't allow U.S. bombers headed to the Middle East to use a base in Sicily without parliamentary approval. For years before then, France and Germany often kept Meloni outside the small-group talks that helped shape Europe's response to major foreign policy crises. That persisted into 2026 amid disagreements over the Russian war on Ukraine, including Meloni's rejection of a proposal by Britain and France to send European troops there following a possible ceasefire. But Trump's escalating attacks on Meloni — who called Trump's criticism of Pope Leo "unacceptable" — helped shift the dynamic, prompting European leaders to rally around her. READ MORE: Trump decries Italy's Meloni for siding with the pope and not supporting Iran war After all, they, too, have been on the receiving end of Trump's barbs. Meloni was firmly in the fold at a late June meeting in Berlin with the leaders of Germany, France, Britain and Poland. And she met the next day with