WASHINGTON, June 20 — Escalating an ongoing diplomatic dispute, U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday reiterated his claim that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni repeatedly sought a photograph with him during the recent G7 summit in France, alleging that she now wants to “be friends again” to improve her domestic approval ratings.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump characterized Meloni’s alleged actions as an attempt to boost her popularity, claiming she is struggling politically in Italy and is seeking to rebuild ties with him for political advantage.
Trump also renewed criticism of Italy’s foreign policy, particularly its stance on the U.S. military conflict with Iran.
Arguing that the United States spends substantial sums each year to help protect Italy and other NATO allies, Trump criticized Meloni for refusing to support American objectives. He specifically objected to Italy’s decision not to allow the U.S. military access to Italian airfields and runways for operations.
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G7 meeting in France. She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon. She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of billions of dollars a year to protect Italy and other so-called NATO allies. Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her numbers up. No thanks,” Trump wrote.
Meloni responded Friday with a sharp rebuttal, dismissing Trump’s remarks in a video message posted on X.
“I am shocked by Trump’s utterly fabricated words,” she said.
“Certain things deserve an immediate response. Donald Trump’s statements are totally invented. I am frankly appalled. I don’t know why the President of the United States behaves this way with his own allies. After all, it is not the first time this has happened,” Meloni said.
The Italian prime minister also criticized Trump’s diplomatic approach, saying, “I can only say that it is a shame he doesn’t have the same determination with the enemies of the West, with the enemies of the United States, with leaderships toward whom he instead proves to be much more accommodating.”
She concluded with a firm statement: “There is one thing he must remember: Italy and I never beg.”
Amid the diplomatic fallout, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled his planned visit to the United States, which had been scheduled for June 21 and 22.
In a post on X, Tajani condemned Trump’s remarks as offensive and said they insulted Italy as a whole.
“The serious and offensive words of President Trump toward Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy. For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States scheduled for June 21 and 22,” he wrote.
The dispute follows an interview Trump gave to Italian broadcaster La7, in which he claimed that Meloni had insisted on taking a photo with him during the G7 summit and that he agreed only because he “felt sorry for her.”
“Meloni? She begged me for a photo; I felt sorry for her,” Trump said during the interview.
The remarks have drawn criticism across Italy’s political spectrum and have strained relations between the two leaders. (ANI)
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