Giorgia Meloni was in Mar-a-Lago for barely five hours and every moment had to count. With so many leaders vying for Donald Trump’s attention, hers was a win. But after dinner with the president elect,

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Lago, Trump described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a “fantastic woman… she’s really taken Europe by storm.”

Italian opposition leaders roundly criticized Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government for engaging in talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX on a €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) deal for encrypted communications systems.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. January 4, 2025. Italian Government/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo MILAN (Reuters) -Elon Musk said on Monday he was ready to provide Italy with secure communication services after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied that the issue had come up during a weekend visit to the United States.

Italy is in advanced talks with Elon Musk's SpaceX over a 1.5 billion euro ($1.55 billion) deal for the company to provide secure telecommunications to the government, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday.

What Meloni has shown — so far — is a certain mindfulness to the optics of appearing next to populist figures such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Hungary’s Orban — also favorites of Trump. She is seeking to carve a path somewhere between the two as a more serious and institutional whisperer, officials say.

Meloni received a rapturous welcome to Trump's Palm Beach resort, according to videos circulating on social media.