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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed astonishment after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Italian television that she had "begged" him for a photo. Meloni dismissed the comments as entirely "made-up," sparking an open dispute between the two leaders. Following the public clash, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a scheduled trip to the United States next week, signaling a sharp decline in a bilateral relationship that has frayed since Trump's decision to go to war with Iran.
Trump and Meloni were seen in close conversation at the G7 summit at Evian-les-Bains in eastern France this week, and the Italian leader later told reporters their relationship was unchanged and there had been "no recriminations".
However, Trump has since given 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.”
The two leaders were filmed several times at Evian, including while they appeared engrossed in conversation on a small sofa, with Meloni smiling as they talked.
"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.
Meloni reacted in total disbelief, saying she was "frankly stunned", in a brief address to her seven million followers on Instagram.
"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."
Meloni's evident shock at Trump's outburst comes after a series of incidents that have weakened what had begun as a close political relationship.
