Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has launched a scathing attack on former US President Donald Trump after he claimed she 'begged' for a photo with him. Speaking at a press conference in Rome, Meloni described Trump's comments as 'absurd' and 'without any foundation.'
The exchange has sparked a heated diplomatic row between Italy and the US, with Meloni accusing Trump of pandering to the west's enemies. 'It's not the first time that Mr Trump has shown his willingness to pander to the enemies of the West and to undermine the unity and the cohesion of our democracies,' she said.
Trump had made the claims about Meloni on his Truth Social platform, saying that she had 'begged' for a photo with him during a meeting at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. However, Meloni has rejected the claim, saying that she would never 'beg' for a photo with anyone.
The Italian government has summoned the US ambassador to Rome to explain Trump's comments, and the situation is likely to be raised at the next meeting of the G7 foreign ministers.
The row has sparked concerns about the impact on UK-Italian relations, with the UK and Italy maintaining close diplomatic ties. The British government has declined to comment on the situation, but a spokesperson for the Foreign Office said that they were 'aware of the situation' and would 'continue to work closely with our Italian partners to strengthen our bilateral relationship.'
Meanwhile, the UK's ambassador to Italy, Jill Gallard, has said that the UK 'values its strong and long-standing relationship with Italy' and that they would continue to work with the Italian government to address any concerns.