European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump will meet when political agreements require their involvement, according to her spokesperson on Monday.
The leaders briefly spoke on Saturday in Rome at the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral and agreed to meet at a later date.
This meeting will occur "when there is a package needing an agreement at the presidential level," the spokesperson clarified, referring to ongoing technical negotiations about tariffs. As trade agreements fall within the EU's exclusive competence, any deal must be signed by von der Leyen on behalf of the 27 Member States.
Saturday's encounter in Rome marked the first meeting between von der Leyen and Trump since his return to the White House.
The Commission has been attempting to arrange a summit for weeks, but Trump opted to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this month instead. Meloni invited him to Italy to facilitate a meeting between the US President and EU leaders.
Trump expressed openness to such a visit "in the near future," suggesting he views Meloni as a mediator between the EU and the United States.
