Italy joins E5 pledge to strengthen NATO as Trump tensions deepen

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stood with the leaders of Germany, France, Britain and Poland in Berlin on Wednesday to reaffirm commitment to a stronger European defence partnership ahead of next month's NATO summit in Ankara. The so-called E5 group met to coordinate a joint position before the alliance convenes, according to Politico Europe, with the leaders calling for Ukraine aid to rank high on the agenda. The move represents a marked shift in Meloni's stance toward the United States, marking a departure from her earlier positioning as Donald Trump's closest European ally.

The coordination comes as Trump has publicly attacked Meloni over disputed claims about Italy's military contributions, according to the Daily Beast. The American president, in a Truth Social tirade, blasted Meloni for refusing to allow Italy to be drawn into what he characterised as his defence agenda. Politico Europe reported that Trump's America First agenda was always bound to clash with Meloni given Italy's low defence spending relative to GDP and its trade surplus with the United States—structural tensions that have now surfaced publicly.

Meloni's repositioning reflects broader European frustration with Trump's demands for higher military spending and his selective approach to NATO commitments. France 24 reported that the Italian leader met French President Emmanuel Macron on the French Riviera on Thursday, where she described Trump's attacks as "constant and unprovoked." The E5 coordination signals that Europe's largest economies are moving to present a unified front on defence spending and Ukraine support, independent of American pressure.

The NATO summit in Ankara next month will test whether the E5 consensus holds. According to Politico Europe, the meeting between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Trump ahead of the summit is expected to be contentious. Italy's participation in the E5 pledge places it squarely within the European camp on defence autonomy—a position that contradicts Meloni's earlier courtship of Trump and reflects her government's calculation that European unity offers greater strategic weight than alignment with a unpredictable American administration.

Iran has also signalled its displeasure with Italy's military posture. The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi blamed Italy and Romania for allowing the United States to use their air bases in attacks on Iran, threatening both countries. The accusation underscores Italy's continued role as a critical NATO logistics hub in the Mediterranean, even as Meloni distances herself from Trump's approach to global conflict.

For the Estero desk, Meloni's break with Trump represents a recalibration of Italy's place in the transatlantic order. Italy's NATO membership, its geographic position as a Mediterranean anchor for the alliance, and its role as host to US military infrastructure have long anchored its foreign policy. The E5 pledge suggests that Meloni now sees European defence autonomy—rather than deference to Washington—as the better guarantee of Italian security and influence. Whether that consensus survives Trump's pressure through the Ankara summit remains uncertain.