Giorgia Meloni Rejects Calls To Distance Italy From US: 'Do We Leave NATO And Attack McDonald's?'

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has issued a forceful rejection of calls for Italy to distance itself from the United States following a series of diplomatic disagreements with the second Trump administration. Speaking at her traditional start-of-the-year press conference in Rome on Friday, 9 January 2026, the Prime Minister utilised sharp sarcasm to highlight what she described as a total lack of realistic options for Italy outside its existing security and trade alliances.

Responding to questions regarding how Italy should 'act with strength' in the face of President Donald Trump's more assertive foreign policies, Meloni challenged her critics to provide a concrete alternative. 'You have to tell me what you mean,' she retorted. 'Do we leave NATO, close American bases, break off commercial relations, or attack McDonald's? I don't know. What should we do?' The quip, reported by The Independent, was intended to frame the debate as one of 'geopolitics, not gossip.'

The Two Pillars of Italian Foreign Policy

Meloni, widely seen as one of the few European leaders to maintain a constructive relationship with Trump, emphasised that Italy's international standing rests on two immovable foundations: its membership in the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance (NATO). She argued that 'strength' in diplomacy does not equate to isolationism or the severing of historical ties.

'Of course, I don't always agree with everything my allies say. The interests of nations don't always perfectly overlap,' Meloni stated, according to Japan Today. She noted that while she found common ground with Washington on files such as Venezuela, she remained in firm disagreement regarding recent US rhetoric concerning Greenland. However, she maintained that these nuances were part of a 'mature alliance' rather than a reason to dismantle decades of cooperation.

Disagreements Over Greenland and the Arctic

The current tension within the alliance follows renewed US claims toward Greenland, which have included suggestions of military options to secure the strategically vital island from Denmark. Meloni explicitly ruled out supporting any military move on the Danish-ruled territory, warning such an action would have 'grave consequences' for the unity of NATO.

Instead of distancing Italy, Meloni proposed that NATO as a whole should 'initiate a serious debate' and 'boost its presence' in the Arctic region. She suggested that a coordinated alliance-wide strategy would address US security concerns—such as preventing 'excessive interference' from rival powers like Russia and China—without the need for unilateral American action. This position, reported by Reuters, seeks to anchor US interests within the NATO framework rather than allowing them to operate outside of it.

Deterrence as a Prerequisite for Peace

Throughout her three-hour briefing, Meloni argued that Italy's credibility is tied to its reliability as a partner. She pushed back against the notion that Italy is a passive actor, claiming instead that Rome is becoming a more 'consequential' diplomatic player by staying present at the tables where strategic decisions are made.

'I think international law must be fully defended,' she told journalists. Her refusal to 'chicken out' of the alliance—or to engage in what she called the 'unhinged logic' of isolationism—stems from a belief that credible military and diplomatic deterrence is the only path to a lasting peace. For Meloni, the suggestion that Italy could simply 'distance' itself from its most significant military ally without a replacement for its security architecture was unrealistic.

The Prime Minister's remarks also served to distance herself from pro-Russia narratives within the Italian political sphere, reinforcing her image as a pragmatist who views the Transatlantic framework as indivisible. As reported by Decode39, the message to both domestic critics and international partners was clear: Italy will defend its interests, but it will do so from within the heart of the Western alliance.