Dispute Intensifies Between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, asserting that she repeatedly requested a photo with him during the Group of Seven summit, and criticizing Italy’s lack of cooperation during the conflict with Iran.

The statements further deepened the rift that began earlier this week following Trump’s interview with an Italian broadcaster, during which he claimed Meloni ‘begged’ for a photo at the G7 meeting in France. Meloni dismissed these allegations as ‘completely fabricated’. The altercation led Italy’s Foreign Minister to cancel a planned trip to the United States, with Meloni’s government rallying to her defense.

‘Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni repeatedly asked for a photo with me during the G-7 meeting in France,’ Trump wrote on his social media platform while spending the weekend at Camp David, a presidential retreat. In the initial post, he misspelled Meloni’s name, later correcting it.

‘Her popularity in Italy is faltering, possibly due to rejecting the USA, a nation which greatly loves and protects Italy, especially when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon (although NATO did so as well, for that matter!),’ the president added.

Meloni responded shortly after, stating that ‘these constant and unprovoked attacks make no sense’. She emphasized that her popularity depends on defending Italy’s national interests, not on her relationship with Trump. ‘In any case, my popularity is not your concern. I suggest you focus on yours,’ Meloni wrote in an Instagram post.

Trump’s initial comments were made Friday on La7 network. When a correspondent inquired about Ukraine, Trump brought up Meloni and made claims regarding the photo. Trump expressed that he wasn’t compelled to take the photo but felt obliged to accommodate, according to La7. The broadcaster shared a dubbed version of the discussion online, though the original English audio was not released.

In his post, Trump complained that Meloni prohibited the USA from utilizing Italy’s aircraft runways during the war with Iran, despite the USA being a leader in defense spending among NATO allies. This longstanding grievance about the military alliance resurfaced ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House and next month’s NATO summit in Turkey.

Italy, serving as a crucial logistical hub for the USA, declined in March to allow American bombers headed for the Middle East to use a Sicilian base without parliamentary approval. This decision reflected various constitutional constraints and significant domestic opposition to the war. Meloni has insisted that any operations involving Italian bases for offensive actions require parliamentary support.

Trump voiced his frustration with Meloni, noting that she ‘wants to be friends again’ in light of the initial agreement between the USA and Iran to end the conflict.

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The Associated Press journalist Silvia Stellacci contributed to this report from Rome.—— This story was translated from English by an AP editor using a generative AI tool.