Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been left stunned and defiant after former US President Donald Trump made a claim that has sparked outrage across Italy. Speaking in an interview with Italian broadcaster La7, Trump alleged that Meloni "begged" him for a photograph during the recent G7 summit. This assertion was swiftly met with denial from Meloni herself, who took to Instagram to share a video captioned "Italy and I never beg."
Meloni stated in the video, "Donald Trump's declarations are totally invented. Frankly, I am stunned. I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards his allies." She also pointed out that it was "unfortunate he doesn't show the same determination towards the West's enemies."
The comments have caused widespread indignation in Italy, with even cross-party solidarity emerging for Meloni. Italy's Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, announced the cancellation of his scheduled trip to the United States next week, stating that Trump's "serious and offensive words" had offended the entire nation. Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte echoed this sentiment, saying that Italy "doesn't deserve to find itself so blatantly humiliated."
This latest diplomatic spat follows a previous cooling of relations between Trump and Meloni in April. Their initial close ties, often rooted in shared nationalist rhetoric, had seemingly been strained by Italy's refusal to support the US-Israeli war in Iran and Trump's subsequent criticism of Pope Leo's condemnation of the conflict. Until then, Meloni had been a prominent European ally of Trump, even being the sole European leader invited to his US presidential inauguration.
Giovanbattista Fazzolari, Undersecretary to the Italian Prime Minister's office, has condemned Trump's actions, suggesting that he is "wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe." Fazzolari added that Trump's "inappropriate outbursts" are making the US unpopular across Europe, damaging not only the continent but also the US itself. The incident highlights the volatile nature of international relations, particularly with figures like Trump, and the potential for personal remarks to escalate into broader diplomatic tensions.