We speak to the chair of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the United States: Italian politician Brando Benifei. He recently led a group of MEPs to the US to meet members of the US Congress and other players in a bid to de-escalate the trade crisis between Washington and Brussels. He talks of the probability of a negotiated solution, and comments on the complicated political relationship between the US president and the EU – as evidenced by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's tightrope act when she was hosted by Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday.

Asked about the trade tariffs, Benifei says: "I'm firmly convinced that a deal will be reached because the damage for both sides would be too high. Do not forget that the EU has a so-called 'Anti-Coercion Instrument' that could be used to limit the economic presence of the US (in Europe) and badly damage many important US companies. They are scared that if there is no deal, the situation will be very damaging for them. I'm sure that pressure will make everyone more reasonable."

On his mission to Washington with other MEPs, he says: "We sent a clear message on what our availabilities are for the negotiations, but also what are our clear limits. We are ready to negotiate, but we cannot change profoundly our legislation on digital policy, on consumer protection, on sanitary and phytosanitary standards for food and drinks, to accommodate requests from the US. Because legislation is decided for the Europeans by the European institutions and the member states."

What attitudes did he detect among the members of Congress that he met? "In the short term, I think everyone will support the aggressive approach on the tariffs as a negotiating tactic," Benifei answers. "But in the long run, I see that he (Trump) might lose the support of parliamentarians that he needs to pass legislation, if he stays on a too aggressive stance."

Benifei is critical of the Italian government’s approach to dealing with the US president. Asked about Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to the White House, where she was warmly welcomed by Trump, Benifei says: "To be honest, what I understood is that we promised to buy more American liquid gas, and we have promised some billions of investment by Italian firms in the US. And we didn't get anything, apart from making these pledges from our side. The invitation (for Trump) to come to Rome, with a vague possibility of meeting with European counterparts – I don't understand how this can be considered as a success. So it's a really irrelevant visit. Probably it's important for some bilateral issues between Italy and the US. And it's legitimate that the Italian prime minister meets with the leader of the US. But on the broader European issues and negotiations that also affect Italy, I think this visit was, frankly, useless."

We ask if Benifei thinks the US is warming up to the idea of including Europeans more in negotiations about Ukraine, in the light of the visit to Paris by the US secretary of state and the US special envoy. "Well, during my visit to Washington, I also understood that in many sectors of the US government – Congress, but also the State Department – the mood is that the Russians are not really cooperating, and not getting to clear results in terms of negotiations," Benifei responds. "So clearly, now, the Americans also understand that this awkward rapprochement with Putin that we have seen is not producing any real advancement. And so they probably need to change their tactic."

Does that apparent change of mood in the US impact the EU? "I think Europe should continue supporting Ukraine to avoid the fall of Ukraine, because any negotiation needs Ukraine to be standing," Benifei replies.

Programme prepared by Luke Brown, Oihana Almandoz, Georgina Robertson, and Isabelle Romero

Italian PM Meloni's visit to Trump 'frankly useless' for EU: Senior MEP Benifei

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