Italy calls for 'immediate' summit between US, Europe following Zelensky-Trump clash

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on Feb. 28 for an "immediate" summit between the United States, EU, and Western allies to discuss Ukraine amid ongoing peace talks.

Meloni's call for the summit follow a heated meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on Feb. 28, that culminated in the Ukrainian delegation being ordered to leave the White House.

The meeting ended without an agreement on a mineral deal after a 45-minute press briefing escalated into a heated exchange over U.S. aid to Ukraine and the conditions of a potential peace deal with Russia.

Meloni called for the summit to "talk frankly about how we intend to deal with the great challenges of today, starting with Ukraine, which together we have defended in recent years, and those that we will be called upon to face in the future," according to a statement.

"Any division of the West makes us all weaker and favors those who would like to see the decline of our civilization. A decline not of its power or influence, but of the principles that founded it, first and foremost freedom. A division would not benefit anyone," the statement continued.

Italy will be communicating with allies to propose the meeting "in the coming hours."

Meloni's proposal comes as a number of European leaders on Feb. 28 reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, following his tense meeting.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader," following the exchange.

The proposed summit follows one that French President Emmanuel Macron convened in Paris on Feb. 17, that brought together leaders from Europe's largest nations and Britain, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and top EU officials.

European allies have become increasingly concerned that they will not have a role in negotiations between the U.S. and Russia's about ending the war — talks that Kyiv has also been sidelined from.