Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted three-way transatlantic talks in Rome on Sunday, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted as a possible "new beginning” in international relations between the two blocs.
In US Vice President JD Vance's opening comments, he called Europe "an important ally" even though the two sides of the Atlantic "have some disagreements, as friends sometimes do, on issues like trade".
Von der Leyen underlined the significant trade partnership between the two parties: "Indeed, we have the largest trade relationship in the world, with more than $1.5 trillion per year, very much intertwined."
The EU Commission chief added, "Everybody knows that the devil is in the detail, but what unites us is that at the end we want, together, to have a good deal for both sides,"
She also used the moment to put Ukraine on the table and thank the US for its engagement in wanting to end Russia's all-out war in Ukraine.
"What is important now is certainly that we push, that things are moving forward and I think the next week will be crucial on that," von der Leyen noted.
Beyond Ukraine, the last issue raised was defence. Von der Leyen acknowledged the need for EU member states to increase defence investments, saying that the European Commission has taken steps to facilitate this.
"This is why, as (European) Commission, we have enabled the use of up to €800 billion in the next four years for defence investment," von der Leyen said.
Earlier on Sunday, Meloni, von der Leyen and Vance had all attended Pope Leo XIV inauguration mass at the Vatican.
