‘Astonished’ Meloni rebuffs Trump’s G7 photo ‘begging’ story, calls it ‘completely made up’

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday strongly rejected claims made by US President Donald Trump that she had “begged” him to take a photograph with her during the recent G7 summit and said the story was totally fabricated.

Meloni said she was astonished by Trump’s comments, which she described as “completely made up” and an unnecessary slight against a long-standing ally.

In an interview with Italian television channel La7 after the G7 summit in France, Trump reportedly suggested that Meloni was very eager to be photographed with him and that he had only agreed out of sympathy.

Video footage from the summit showed the two leaders sitting together and engaged in an extended conversation.

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‘Completely made up. I am frankly astonished’: Meloni

Meloni dismissed Trump’s claims in a strongly worded statement, saying, “Donald Trump’s statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished.”

The Italian PM also criticised what she described as Trump’s tendency to treat allies more harshly than geopolitical rivals.

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“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.

Meloni concluded her response with a pointed message: “There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.”

Trump had suggested in the interview that he indulged Meloni by chatting with her. “She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her,” Trump was quoted as saying by La7 TV channel.

“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 said.

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The exchange marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two right-wing leaders.

Meloni was once among Trump’s strongest supporters in Europe and had even attended his inauguration in 2025. However, tensions grew this year after disagreements over the Iran conflict and Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo.

As the war escalated, Meloni increasingly distanced herself from Trump, prompting a sharp response from the US leader, who accused her of lacking courage.

Italy FM cancels US visit, says whole of Italy offended

The war of words escalated as Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the cancellation of a planned visit to the United States next week, describing Trump’s comments as offensive not only to Meloni but also to Italy as a whole.

“The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend the whole of Italy,” Tajani wrote on social media.

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‘US president succeeded in making America less popular across Europe’

The dispute also prompted an unusually blunt intervention from Giovanbattista Fazzolari, one of Meloni’s closest political allies.

Fazzolari accused Trump of damaging transatlantic relations and undermining historic ties between Europe and the United States.

He said the US president had succeeded in making America less popular across Europe and warned that such rhetoric was harming both European and American interests.