Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated over the past hour that she spoke directly with U.S. President Donald Trump on the Greenland issue, telling him tariffs on nations contributing to its security are a mistake and urging dialogue to avoid escalation due to a problem of interpretation, according to an X post by @ultimaranet at https://x.com/ultimoranet/status/2012823494816403509. Meloni said, "I spoke to Trump, I told him what I think. It's important to talk to each other and avoid escalation. There was a problem of interpretation between the two parties." The remarks echo Meloni's earlier disclosure today of the conversation, as reported in prior coverage. They follow U.S. Senator John Fetterman's statement earlier this morning between 10:16 a.m. and 10:46 a.m. UTC that Trump's idea to acquire Greenland is "not an absurd idea," while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "quixotic," per an X post by @yarotrof. These developments come amid President Trump's January 17 announcement of 10% tariffs on Denmark and other nations starting February 1, rising to 25% on June 1 unless a Greenland purchase deal is reached.
