US President Donald Trump has hit out at Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, repeating his claim that she asked “over and over” for a picture of them together at the G7 summit this week.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also accused her of not supporting US efforts to “deny] Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon”.
He said that Meloni caused “a great logistical inconvenience” by barring the US from using Italian air facilities for American military operations in Iran.
On Friday, the prime minister said she had been astonished by Trump’s initial claim that she “begged” for a photo.
In his post on Truth Social a day later, the US president said Meloni was “doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity”.
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!!,” he added.
In March, Italy reportedly denied US military air craft from landing at Sigonella air base in Sicily for operations against Iran.
The continued exchange has highlighted a developing rift between the two countries since Trump’s military action against Iran this year.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has also cancelled a trip to the US early next week.
Trump and Meloni were pictured in close conversation at the G7 summit in France this week, and the Italian leader later told reporters their relationship was unchanged and there had been “no recriminations”.
But soon afterwards, Trump gave a phone interview with Italy’s La7 TV channel in which he alleged: “She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her.”
“She’s probably happy I spoke to her,” he said. La7 did not produce Trump’s original words in English, but voiced them over in Italian.
Responding to the claim, Meloni in an Instagram video said she was “frankly stunned”.
“I don’t know why the US president behaves this way towards allies,” she said, adding it was not the first time it had happened.
“I can only say it is regrettable he does not show the same determination towards the enemies of the West and towards the enemies of the US – [enemies] whose leaders he instead appears to be far more accommodating with.”
“But there is one thing he needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
The leaders also clashed earlier this year after Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being “WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy” in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was “not a big fan”.
Meloni later said the comments were “unacceptable”.
The two country leaders have had a close political relationship, with Meloni the sole European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
By BBC News
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