WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise trip to Florida to meet with Donald Trump late on Saturday, as the key European leader sought to buttress ties with the president-elect before his inauguration on Jan.

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.

US President-elect Donald Trump hosted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for talks at his Florida base, the latest sign of the two leaders’ deepening bond and the Italian’s leveraging of her hard-right credentials to position Rome for the incoming administration.