Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is heading to the US to meet Donald Trump – a visit that will see her walk a tightrope between representing the interests of the EU and remaining in the US president's good books.

Meloni, the first European leader to visit Washington since Trump imposed - then suspended - 20% tariffs on the EU earlier in April, will be seeking to persuade him of the benefits of a "zero-for-zero" tariffs agreement for the entire EU, BBC reported.

Italy is especially sensitive to any changes in US trade policy. Around 10% of its exports, worth approximately €67 bn (£57 bn; $76 bn), go to the United States, Italy's third largest non-EU trading partner, and the tariffs proposed by Trump earlier this month led Rome to cut its growth projection.