Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has focused the conversation, according to a statement released at the end of the day by the US government.
Before starting the meeting, Draghi urged Biden to start working on the negotiations to achieve a lasting peace process in Ukraine, even if the sanctions are not yet lifted.
“The war has brought us even closer together.
[Vladimir] Putin thought he could divide us.
He was wrong”, he added about the relationship between the two countries.
More information
Last minute of the war in Ukraine, live
The meeting was held behind closed doors for just over an hour.
As a prelude, Biden and Draghi have shown their harmony before the journalists in the White House.
“You have been a good friend and a great ally”, said the former, who added that he sees in this visit the opportunity to return “the hospitality” provided in Rome by the former, during the G20 summit last October .
“Our ties will always be strong.
We will continue to work on energy and security, especially on food security.
This conflict has brought about drastic changes in the European Union”, stated the Italian Prime Minister.
To which the US president replied: “A strong Europe is in the interests of the United States.
It's good for everyone."
"Faced with global economic challenges created by Russia's actions, [both leaders] have discussed measures aimed at fostering food security and reshaping global energy markets," according to the White House statement.
They have also promised to work together on other challenges, such as the definitive exit from the pandemic or the fight against climate change.
And they have spoken of "shared foreign policy challenges, including China and Libya."
Since the beginning of the invasion, the pro-European Draghi, who was president of the European Central Bank (2011-2019) and took the reins of a unity government in Italy last year, has called for greater coordination from the European Union in matters of defense and foreign policy, to the point of not ruling out a rethinking of the treaties in light of recent events.
His visit to Washington comes at a delicate internal moment for the prime minister.
While Draghi promotes the increase of the Defense item to 2% of GDP, as agreed by the NATO countries, the leaders of the coalition he leads have expressed their growing disagreement with the hard line adopted in the policies of military supply to Ukraine .
Giuseppe Conte, head of the 5 Star Movement, the party with the largest number of seats, has asked him to seek a diplomatic solution to the war instead of sending "heavier and more lethal weapons".
Conte unsuccessfully requested Draghi's appearance in the Italian Parliament to clarify with what intentions he undertook his visit to Biden.
The leader of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, declared this Monday in an interview with
Corriere della Sera
that Europe “must not allow the United States to lead it”.
Draghi will complete his mission in Washington with a visit to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
The Italian Prime Minister has agreed with Biden to continue the conversation at the G7 Summit in Germany and at the NATO Summit in Madrid, both in June.
Pelosi has also visited the White House this Tuesday to share with Biden the details of the "long and detailed" meeting he held on May 1 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in kyiv.
In it, as Pelosi explained to journalists, they discussed "security, sanctions, and humanitarian and diplomatic assistance."
Subscribe here to the EL PAÍS América newsletter and receive all the key information on current affairs in the region.
