LONDON (MNN): A diplomatic dispute erupted between Italy and the United States on Friday after reported remarks by US President Donald Trump about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sparked strong reactions from Rome.
Meloni said she was “frankly stunned” by comments attributed to Trump during a phone interview with Italian television channel La7. According to a transcript released by the network, Trump claimed that Meloni had “begged” him for a photograph during this week’s G7 summit and suggested that she should be grateful he spoke with her.
Rejecting the remarks, Meloni described them as fabricated and insisted that neither she nor Italy had ever begged anyone. In a post on X, she questioned why the US president would treat close allies in such a manner, adding that she wished he would show the same firmness toward adversaries of the West and the United States.
The controversy prompted Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to cancel his scheduled visit to the United States on June 21 and 22. Tajani described Trump’s comments as serious and offensive.
Other senior Italian officials also criticised the reported remarks. Justice Minister Carlo Nordio called them a painful blow to relations between the two countries, while Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said such comments served no constructive purpose.
Only days earlier, at the conclusion of the G7 summit, Meloni had described the atmosphere among leaders as positive and denied any tensions between Trump and other participants. She acknowledged, however, that both she and Trump possessed strong personalities.
The two leaders were seen together several times during the summit, including a private conversation that appeared cordial.
Meloni has long sought to act as a bridge between Europe and the Trump administration, but relations reportedly became strained during the recent Middle East conflict. Tensions increased in April after Meloni defended Pope Leo XIV against Trump’s criticism of the pontiff’s anti-war positions.
At the time, Meloni labelled Trump’s remarks unacceptable, prompting the US president to publicly criticise her leadership and accuse Italy of not doing enough to support the United States within NATO.
Trump has also threatened to reduce the US military presence in Italy, arguing that Rome had not sufficiently assisted Washington during the conflict involving Iran.
