Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid an unofficial visit to Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Saturday, the latest foreign leader hosted by the US president-elect as he prepares to take office.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made an unannounced visit to United States President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Saturday, her office confirmed on Sunday. Photos shared by her office depicted Meloni and Trump posing at the entrance of Mar-a-Lago and conversing in a reception room adorned with a Christmas tree in the background,

Lago, Trump described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a “fantastic woman… she’s really taken Europe by storm.”

Lago, an invitation to Monday's inauguration and good relations with Elon Musk, Italy's Giorgia Meloni has positioned herself as the closest mainstream European leader to Donald Trump.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose rise to power in Rome two years ago sparked panic among the European political establishment, may now be the continent’s best hope to have one of its own in the good graces of the Trump White House.