Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated on Tuesday that she maintains 'cordial relations' with US President Donald Trump, following weeks of public friction between the two leaders. Meloni made the comment to Italian reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, according to CNN.
Tensions Arise Over G7 Photo Incident
The recent discord began when Trump claimed that Meloni had 'begged' him for a photograph during the G7 summit in Evian, France. Meloni denied this allegation, leading to a diplomatic spat that prompted Italy's foreign minister to cancel a planned visit to the United States, CNN reported.
Trump's Remarks on Meloni and Iran
Meloni's comments came hours after Trump described her as a 'nice person' during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Trump acknowledged that their relationship had recently deteriorated due to Italy's refusal to support US military operations against Iran. 'I think she's a nice person; actually, we've had a good week. We had a bad relationship. It became a little bad because she refused to help us again,' Trump said, according to CNN. He added, 'I think she's a nice person, actually. But I think she made a mistake,' referring to Italy's decision not to assist the United States in the conflict with Iran.
Trump noted that he did not put 'heavy press' on Meloni to provide assistance but admitted that Italy's refusal 'soured' their relationship 'a little bit.'
Social Media Post Escalates Tensions
The tension escalated further when Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday, sharing a photograph with Meloni and captioning it, 'RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.' This marked a sharp shift in relations between the two leaders, who had previously maintained cordial ties. Trump had also criticized several NATO allies, including Italy, for declining to back US military operations against Iran despite longstanding American security commitments.
Italy's Stance on Bilateral Ties
Despite the recent exchanges, Italy remains a key US ally within NATO. Meloni has previously stressed that bilateral ties between the two countries transcend individual leaders. 'These relationships don't begin or end because of who happens to be in power at a particular moment,' Meloni had said, adding, 'Foreign policy is more complex than that.'
