Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly criticized US President Donald Trump for alleging that she pleaded with him to take a photo together during the recent G7 summit.
Meloni expressed her disbelief at his statements, labeling them as entirely fabricated and emphasizing, “Neither I nor Italy ever resort to begging.”
During an interview with Italian TV channel La7, Trump claimed, “She pleaded with me to have a photo taken with her. She was so eager for a picture with me. I wouldn’t have agreed, but I took pity on her.”
He further remarked, “She’s probably pleased that I spoke with her. I wasn’t obligated to engage in conversation with her.” These remarks followed his inquiry about Italy’s prime minister to a journalist, with the broadcast featuring a dubbed version of the exchange rather than the original English audio.
Video footage from the summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, depicted Meloni and Trump engrossed in a discussion while seated next to each other on a small sofa.
Meloni promptly responded to the president’s comments in a video shared on social media, denouncing them as entirely false. She expressed her astonishment at Trump’s behavior towards his allies, highlighting that this was not the first instance of such conduct.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly canceled a scheduled trip to the United States, citing Trump’s remarks as “serious and offensive” towards Meloni and Italy as a whole. The Foreign Ministry later announced the cancellation of the business and scientific forum Tajani was set to attend in Miami.
The once-strong alliance between Trump and Meloni, considered one of his closest allies in Europe, has deteriorated due to differing views on the Iran conflict, which Meloni deemed unlawful. Disagreements over Trump’s tariffs and staunch support for Israel during the Gaza conflict have also strained their relationship.
In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera in April, Trump criticized Meloni for not supporting the US-Israeli campaign against Iran. At that time, Meloni chose not to publicly address Trump’s remarks.
During the same month, Meloni defended Pope Leo XIV when Trump criticized the pontiff. She deemed Trump’s comments about the Pope unacceptable and stressed that as the leader of the Catholic Church, it is appropriate for the Pope to denounce all forms of warfare. She had previously refrained from condemning Trump’s criticism of the Pope.
Lorenzo Castellani, a political expert at Rome’s Luiss Guido Carli University, commented to The Associated Press, stating, “In a way, this incident benefited Giorgia Meloni, as she was previously viewed as a subservient ally of Trump in Europe.”