ROME (AP) 鈥� The Italian government closed ranks on Friday to that Premier Giorgia Meloni had 鈥渂egged鈥� for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit, a pushback that suggested the longtime U.S. ally had had enough of Trump鈥檚 boasting.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump鈥檚 claims 鈥渟erious and offensive鈥� toward Meloni and all of Italy.
Meloni for her part posted a video calling Trump鈥檚 claims 鈥渃ompletely fabricated” and expressing astonishment that he would invent such things about an ally. She concluded: 鈥淚taly and I do not beg.鈥�
Trump had made the comments in an interview broadcast Friday morning on the La7 network. The La7 correspondent had asked Trump about Ukraine, but Trump raised Meloni and the conversation turned to their meeting during the just-concluded Meloni and Trump were filmed speaking at several moments, including alone on a small sofa.
According to La7, Trump said Meloni had 鈥渂egged鈥� him for a photo-op. Trump said he wasn鈥檛 obliged to do it but that he felt sorry for her and agreed, La7 said. The broadcaster has a dubbed version of the conversation online, not the original English audio.
Meloni is astonished and defiant
In her video, Meloni said she was responding to Trump鈥檚 claims because 鈥渃ertain things deserve an immediate response.”
鈥淒onald Trump鈥檚 statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his own allies. After all, this isn鈥檛 the first time this has happened.鈥�
It was an apparent reference to an interview Trump gave to Italian daily Corriere della Sera in April in which he criticized Meloni’s refusal to back the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. Meloni didn’t respond publicly at the time.
By Friday, it appeared she had had enough of his boasts and broadsides.
鈥淚 can only say that it鈥檚 a shame he doesn鈥檛 show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States 鈥� toward leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating,” Meloni said Friday. “But there鈥檚 one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not beg.鈥�
The White House did not return an immediate request for comment on Meloni鈥檚 remarks.
Meloni had initially sought to build on longstanding strong U.S.-Italian ties when Trump began his second mandate, and had positioned herself as a 鈥渂ridge鈥� between Washington and the European Union. She was the lone EU head of state to attend his inauguration.
But relations have frayed over the U.S. war in Iran, which Meloni has said was illegal, and Trump鈥檚 position on Ukraine, which Italy strongly supports. Trump’s tariffs and strong U.S. support of Israel over its war in Gaza have been other points of contention.
Italian officials close ranks around Meloni
By Friday afternoon, solidarity with Meloni had poured in from across the government and political spectrum, and included a call from President Sergio Mattarella, Italy鈥檚 widely respected head of state.
鈥淲hoever attacks attacks all of us,鈥� posted Transport Minister Matteo Salvini.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio referenced the sacrifice of American troops in World War II in underlining the harm to U.S.-Italy relations caused by Trump.
鈥淭he thousands of crosses marking the graves of American soldiers who died to free us from Nazi-Fascist dictatorship did not deserve such a painful blow to our fraternal ties,鈥� Nordio said on X.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said he didn’t believe Meloni would ever beg someone for a photo, 鈥渘ot even under threat.鈥�
鈥淚 can, however, imagine how much it cost her to set aside what Trump had said weeks ago, to serve the interests of Italy, of Europe, and of the West,鈥� Crosetto posted on X. 鈥淛okes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance.鈥�
Tajani had been due to travel to the U.S. on Sunday to take part in an Italy-U.S. business forum in Miami during which he was to have meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a U.S. State Department announcement of the meeting.
A 鈥榝antastic鈥� friendship frays
Meloni had long been considered one of Trump鈥檚 closest allies in Europe, trying to act as a mediator between the often conflicting interests of the U.S. and the EU.
They had gotten off to a strong start, and the two leaders are ideologically aligned on many issues. As the head of a far-right party, Meloni backs curbing migration and promoting traditional values.
Weeks before Trump鈥檚 2025 inauguration, , a visit that she said went 鈥渂eyond expectations.鈥� It was, she said at the time, 鈥渁n opportunity to confirm a relationship that promises to be very solid,鈥欌�� adding diplomatically, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I can say privileged.鈥�
In the months after, Trump had praised her repeatedly, as 鈥渇antastic,鈥� 鈥渋ncredible,鈥� beautiful and a friend.
But stark differences emerged over Ukraine, after Trump wavered in his support while after Russia鈥檚 invasion in February 2022.
More recently, she sharply warned against U.S. threats to take Greenland by force, saying she didn鈥檛 believe Washington would go so far and that regardless Italy would never support such a move.
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