The prime minister will give a speech to the Senate on her approach to a European Union summit starting on Thursday, where leaders will discuss plans to ramp up military aid for Ukraine amid faltering US support under President Donald Trump.

Meloni's hard-right government has until now strongly backed Kyiv in its war with Russia, despite her coalition partners' history of warm ties with Moscow.

And her far-right Brothers of Italy party last week backed an EU plan to ramp up defence spending, after Trump withdrew military support for Kyiv and opened negotiations with Moscow.

But Meloni has also sought to avoid antagonising Trump, a fellow populist conservative who invited her to his inauguration -- while shunning other major EU leaders.

At crisis talks with European allies in London earlier this month, following Trump's Oval Office clash with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Meloni stressed the importance of avoiding "the risk that the West divides".

She has brushed off French President Emmanuel Macron's idea of extending its nuclear umbrella to other European nations, saying it suggested "a disengagement of the US" and adding: "I would avoid this scenario."

She has also been clear that Italy would not send troops to defend any truce, including in a video call with allies on Saturday.

- Tightrope -

The European defence plan has divided public opinion in Italy, with an Ipsos survey for the Corriere della Sera newspaper last week showing 39 percent of those polled were against, compared to 28 percent for.

It also found declining support for Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion, although it remains strongest amongst Meloni's voters.

The splits run through the government and opposition parties, with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, leading the charge against.

Salvini, who has in the past expressed his admiration for Russia's Vladimir Putin, has embraced the new approach from Washington.

He said earlier this month that Trump is "the only leader capable of finally bringing peace", and declared EU calls to strengthen the bloc's military as "dangerous and irresponsible".

Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, a member of the League, has also warned against the risk of further swelling Italy's enormous debt.

Italy currently spends about 1.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, less than the NATO commitment of two percent -- and well below Trump's demand of five percent.

The third party in Meloni's coalition, the centre-right Forza Italia led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, backs the plan.

Italy's opposition, meanwhile, is divided across and within parties, with the Five Star Movement against, and the centre-left Democratic Party split down the middle.

Lorenzo Castellani, political expert at the University of Luiss, said Meloni was walking a "tightrope".

"It will be difficult for her to increase military spending by what she promised -- 2.5 percent of GDP," due to the political opposition and debt issue, he told AFP.

But at the same time, "I do not expect her to break with Trump", he said.

He said he expected her to keep working with European allies while trying to "slow down the proposals of the countries most ready to support Kyiv".

ar/ams/bc

IPSOS