Biden unites with an unlikely ally to defend Ukraine
President Biden turned to an unlikely ally on Friday in his quest to build support for Ukraine’s war effort as U.S. aid falters. During a visit to the White House by Italy’s far-right prime minister, he declared that the two leaders “have each other’s backs” and “Ukraine supports.”
The warm tone, a marked departure from Mr. Biden’s assessment of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni when she was elected, extended to a number of foreign policy fronts as leaders sought to portray themselves as united on issues such as confronting of global migration and trying to prevent a wider war in the Middle East.
“As you said when we first met here at the Oval, Giorgia, that we support each other,” Mr. Biden said. “We do that, and you have shown that from the moment you took office.”
But Mr. Biden emphasized their unity in Kiev’s efforts to fend off an invasion from President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia, drawing a contrast with conservatives in Congress. “We also have the support of Ukraine,” Biden said. “That’s why I urge the House of Representatives to pass legislation” that would send billions of dollars to fund the war effort.
The meeting reinforced an all-out push by Mr. Biden to advance stalled military aid to Ukraine through a reluctant Congress. He called a meeting this week in which he tried to push Speaker Mike Johnson to allow a vote on aid. He has warned that the division over aid is a gift to Russia. And he has used meetings with European officials this year not only to ensure a united front against the Russian invasion but also to put pressure on Congress.
In Ms. Meloni, Mr. Biden has found a surprisingly kindred spirit.
The Italian prime minister said on Friday that as president of the Group of Seven Nations, she was focused on “defending freedom and building peace for Ukraine.”
After her election in 2022, Ms. Meloni has turned away from the most Russia-friendly elements of her coalition, and Italy recently agreed to sign a security deal with Ukraine to help Kiev’s defense industry.
Ms. Meloni’s embrace of Ms. Biden came as a surprise after he expressed concerns about democracy when she came to power. Her party, the Brothers of Italy, has roots in the neo-fascist factions that emerged after World War II. She drew comparisons to former President Donald J. Trump after addressing the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference in the United States.
“She comes from Europe’s far right, and her coalition includes influential voices that are far more pro-Russian and sympathetic to Putin than the European mainstream, yet she has bucked that trend and placed Italy firmly in the transatlantic camp committed to support to Ukraine,” said Charles A. Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Europe adviser to the National Security Council in the Obama administration.
While she has advanced other far-right causes in Italy, such as anti-LGBTQ policies, Mr. Biden seemed content to push those steps aside to find an ally on crucial issues in the area of foreign policy.
Ms. Meloni could also benefit from the global spotlight that comes with a visit to the Oval Office, Mr. Kupchan said, especially as she tries to convince her own voters of the importance of defending Ukraine.
“The domestic debate in Italy is, I would say, more skeptical about aid to Ukraine than in most other countries,” Mr. Kupchan said.
Ms. Meloni also stressed the need to discuss strategies to combat human trafficking that drives global migration, especially from North Africa. Mr. Biden has also recently made combating illegal migration a central focus of his administration. Just the day before his meeting with Ms. Meloni, he traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border to push Congress to make sweeping changes there.