President Biden turned to an unlikely ally on Friday in trying to build support for the Ukraine war effort as US aid falters, saying during a visit by Italy’s far-right prime minister to the White House that the two leaders “have the each other’s back’ and ‘You have Ukraine’s back’.
The warm tone, a striking departure from Mr. Biden’s assessment of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni when he was elected, extended to several foreign policy fronts as the leaders sought to appear united on issues such as tackling global migration and trying to prevent a wider war in the Middle East.
“As you said when we first met here in the Oval, Giorgia, that we have each other’s backs,” Mr Biden said. “We do, and you’ve proven it since you took office.”
But Mr. Biden emphasized their unity in Kiev’s efforts to fend off an invasion by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, setting up an antagonism with conservatives in Congress. “We also have Ukraine’s back,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s why I’m urging the House of Representatives to pass legislation” that would send billions of dollars to fund the war effort.
The meeting stepped up Mr. Biden’s all-out push to push stagnant military aid to Ukraine through a reluctant Congress. He called a meeting this week in which he tried to pressure President Mike Johnson to allow a vote on the aid. He has warned that divisions over aid are a gift to Russia. And he has used meetings with European officials this year not only to ensure a united front against Russia’s invasion but also to pressure Congress.
In Ms. Meloni, Mr. Biden found a surprisingly kindred spirit.
The Italian prime minister said on Friday that as chairman of the Group of 7 nations, he focused on “defending freedom and building peace for Ukraine”.
After her election in 2022, Ms Meloni distanced herself from the more Russia-friendly elements of her coalition and Italy recently agreed to sign a security deal with Ukraine to help Kiev’s defense industry.
Mr. Biden’s embrace of Ms. Meloni came as a surprise after he expressed concern about democracy when he took office. Her party, the Brothers of Italy, has roots in the neo-fascist factions that emerged after World War II. He drew comparisons to former President Donald J. Trump after her speech at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference in the United States.
“It comes from Europe’s far right, and its coalition contains influential voices that are far more pro-Russian and sympathetic to Putin than the European mainstream, yet it has reversed that trend and placed Italy firmly in the transatlantic camp committed to supporting Ukraine,” said Charles A. Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and adviser for Europe on the National Security Council in the Obama administration.
While he has promoted other far-right causes, such as anti-LGBTQ policies, in Italy, Mr. Biden seemed content to sideline those moves to secure an ally on critical foreign policy issues.
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 constituents of the importance of defending Ukraine.
“The internal debate in Italy is, I would say, more skeptical of aid to Ukraine than in most other countries,” Mr. Kupchan said.
Ms Meloni also stressed the need to discuss strategies to combat human trafficking which drives global migration, particularly from North Africa. Mr. Biden has also recently made fighting illegal immigration a focus of his administration. Just a day before his meeting with Ms. Meloni, he traveled to the US-Mexico border to press Congress for sweeping changes there.
