Biden is welcoming far-right Italian Prime Minister Meloni for White House talks

By AAMER MADHANI and FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to welcome Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the White House for talks. The meeting between the U.S. and Italian leaders is expected to focus on the war in Ukraine, China and migration issues. Biden expressed trepidation about Meloni when she first rose to power last year as the head of Italy’s most far-right government since the end of World War II. But on the eve of her visit, White House officials underscored that Meloni has proven to be a steady ally in the U.S.-led effort to assist Ukraine as it tries to repel the ongoing Russian invasion. The prime minister is also scheduled to meet with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday.