Former U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni repeatedly requested a photo with him during the G7 summit in France. Meloni has previously dismissed these assertions as entirely fabricated.
Trump made his comments on the social media platform Truth Social, stating, “Her popularity in Italy is poor, possibly because she refused the United States when it came to banning Iran from obtaining or developing nuclear weapons (NATO did the same!). She even denied us the use of Italy’s runways, creating significant logistical inconveniences, despite the U.S. contributing hundreds of billions of dollars annually to protect Italy and other so-called NATO allies. Now, after the U.S. has dealt a military blow to Iran, she wants to be friends with me to ‘boost her ratings.’ No, thank you!”
This claim about Meloni’s alleged plea for a photo was first mentioned by Trump in an interview with Italian broadcaster La7 on June 19. On the same day, Meloni refuted Trump’s statements, asserting, “Italy and I never beg.”
In response to Trump’s remarks, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced he would cancel his planned visit to the United States as a form of protest.
On April 14, Trump accused Meloni of not supporting the U.S. war efforts against Iran and of failing to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump has claimed that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sought a photo with him at the G7 summit, a statement she has denied. In response, Italy's Foreign Minister canceled a planned visit to the U.S., highlighting rising tensions between the two leaders.