Italy's Meloni will test her mettle as EU-U.S. bridge when she meets with Trump

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni holds a year-end press conference in Rome in January.

Meloni secured the meeting at a critical juncture in the trade war. As the right-wing leader of her party she has, in a sense, been "knighted" to represent the European Union in meetings with Trump.

(Image credit: Alessandra Tarantino)