Meloni praises Elon Musk's Starlink for helping in Ukraine war: Here's how Trump and Tesla boss reacted

During a meeting with United States President Donald Trump in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni on Monday (Aug 18) credited the technological support of Elon Musk's Starlink during the war with Russia. Her comments during the high-stakes meeting and Trump's reaction have gone viral on the internet because it came months after the feud between Musk and the US president. She also praised Ukraine's battlefield bravery and emphasised unity in the push for peace. Meloni said that Starlink's support led to visible shifts in Russia’s stance in the war. Reports suggested that Trump was displeased by Meloni’s open praise for Tesla's boss. He was visibly uncomfortable, while Musk responded with emoji on a video of the incident on X.

Several world leaders joined Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday (Aug 18) to discuss a potential path to peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The European leaders in attendance included: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Trump-Zelensky meeting

Two days after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky and Trump first had a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, followed by a working lunch and a meeting with the European leaders in the East Room. Unlike their previous meeting in February, which reportedly ended acrimoniously, the tone this time was described as "warm" and "amicable". A central topic was securing long-term security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent future Russian aggression, but NATO membership was not discussed. Trump announced his intention to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, possibly as a bilateral meeting initially, followed by a trilateral meeting including himself.

While European leaders stressed the importance of a ceasefire, Trump questioned its necessity, suggesting a peace agreement could be negotiated even while fighting continued. The issue of Ukraine potentially ceding territory to Russia was raised by Trump, who mentioned "possible exchanges of territory" during the meeting. Zelensky, however, did not explicitly agree to concessions. While Trump seemed to believe Putin was ready to make a deal and was optimistic about an agreement being reached quickly, Macron expressed skepticism about Russia's commitment to peace. The meeting marked a significant step in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, but the path forward and the specific details of a lasting peace remain subject to ongoing negotiations and the willingness of all parties involved to compromise.