'I am frankly astonished': Italian PM Meloni says Trump 'made up' statements about her

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shot back at U.S. President Donald Trump after Trump claimed that she had "begged" to take a picture with him during the recent G7 summit. "Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished," Meloni said in Italian in a video message she posted on social media. "I don't ‌know why ⁠the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover," she added. 

During a brief interview with La7 TV channel, President Trump claimed that the Italian PM "begged" to take a picture with him. "She's probably happy I talked to her. I didn't have to talk to her," Trump told the channel, as per Reuters. "She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so ​badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her," Trump added.

Meloni called Trump's statements disappointing and questioned the President's attitude towards allies. "I can only say it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination with the enemies of the West and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence," she said, adding, "There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg."

This latest exchange is the latest verbal escalation between the President and the Italian PM, whom Trump had previously described as a person lacking courage. Meloni, who had once been a staunch supporter of the President and his policies, found herself at loggerheads with him on several occasions since the start of the Iran war in February. Despite being the sole European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025, Meloni has not shied away from criticizing the United States' actions in the Middle East. 

The latest exchange of words between the Italian and American heads of state has led to a diplomatic feud between Rome and Washington. As per a CNN report, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, on Friday, canceled a planned trip to the United States. Tajani was scheduled to travel to the United States early next week to attend the Italy-US Business, Investment, Science and Innovation Forum in Miami. According to the State Department, Secretary Marco Rubio was set to meet his Italian counterpart to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation on economic security and critical minerals.