Georgia Meloni’s candid eye-roll at German Chancellor goes viral, warm 'namaste' wins hearts | WATCH

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made headlines during US President Donald Trump’s multilateral meeting with European Union leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday, after she was caught on camera rolling her eyes at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s remarks.

Merz, in his address, urged Trump to pressure Russia for a ceasefire rather than pursuing a comprehensive peace agreement. As he spoke, Meloni’s eye-roll was captured on video, quickly going viral on social media.

Some users praised her candid display of emotions. One wrote, “Giorgia Meloni’s priceless eye-roll says it all! She’s clearly not buying into Chancellor Merz’s ceasefire idea, and Trump shutting him down is the icing on the cake. Looks like Meloni and Trump are on the same page, prioritizing a full peace deal over a temporary ceasefire.” Another remarked, “She’s the queen of wearing her feelings on her face.”

🚨 OMG...the Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni's reaction is *PRICELESS* as Germany Chancellor Merz is lecturing Trump that he needs to go to a ceasefire with Putin instead of a full peace deal.

She just keeps rolling her eyes 🤣😭 the plan was NOT to do a ceasefire. Trump… pic.twitter.com/9fF72oB0U4

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 18, 2025

Beyond the viral moment, Meloni also drew attention with a warm gesture upon her arrival at the White House. Greeting Monica Crowley, the US Chief of Protocol, she folded her hands in a traditional Indian ‘namaste.’ The Italian leader has used the gesture before, including at the G7 Summit in Italy, where she welcomed leaders in a similar fashion.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni drew attention when she gave US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley the customary "namaste" greeting during US President Donald Trump's multilateral meeting with EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. #DonaldTrump #GiorgiaMeloni pic.twitter.com/z1GXYfPCNl

— NENewsTV (@NENEWS24x7) August 19, 2025

That earlier summit also featured a widely shared video of Meloni exchanging pleasantries with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their friendly rapport has since become a social media highlight under the hashtag #Melodi. The camaraderie was further underlined at COP28 in Dubai, where Meloni posted a selfie with Modi captioned, “Good friends at COP28, #Melodi.”

At the White House summit, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced strong backing for peace, telling President Trump, “If we want to achieve peace and ensure justice, we must do it together. We stand with Ukraine.”

Her remarks highlighted the unusual unity among leaders ranging from France’s centrist Emmanuel Macron to the right-wing populist Meloni, CNN noted.

Meloni also pointed to a shift in the conflict, saying it marked “an important day, a new phase” after three years without signs of dialogue from Russia. “Something is changing — something has changed — thanks to you,” she told Trump.