Meloni signals truce after extraordinary public spat with Trump: 'I don't intend to keep fuelling this dispute'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Meloni signals truce after extraordinary public spat with Trump: 'I don't intend to keep fuelling this dispute'")
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP)
From G7 photo claims to accusations over Iran and domestic politics, the Trump-Meloni dispute became one of the most unexpected diplomatic dramas of the year. After days of tensions, Meloni is now calling for an end to the row. All you need to know.
Relations between Italy and the United States appeared to ease on Tuesday (Jun 23) after days of public tensions between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump. Speaking at an event in Rome, Meloni signalled that she wanted to move beyond the dispute, saying she had no intention of prolonging the row. "I don't intend to keep fuelling this dispute," the Italian leader said, days after accusing Trump of inventing claims about their interactions during the recent G7 summit in France.
The clash marked one of the most visible rifts between Trump and a European leader long regarded as one of his closest political allies on the continent.
The Trump-Meloni public spat: What happened?
The dispute began after Trump, while speaking to Italian broadcaster La7, claimed that Meloni had repeatedly sought a photograph with him during the G7 gathering. According to Trump, the Italian prime minister had "begged" for a picture, and he agreed only because he "felt sorry for her."
Meloni swiftly rejected the claim, describing it as entirely "made up".
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However, rather than backing down, Trump escalated the disagreement. In a post on Truth Social, he claimed Meloni had asked "over and over" for photographs throughout the summit and suggested she was attempting to improve ties with Washington for domestic political reasons. "Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again to get her 'numbers up.' No thanks!!!" Trump wrote.
He suggested that Meloni was doing "poorly in Italy" and suggested that the issue was linked to Italy's position during the conflict involving Iran. Trump also slammed her for refusing to let the United States use Italian "landing strips or runways" during the conflict with Iran.
Meloni's popularity 'none of your concern'
The comments triggered a sharp reaction in Italy. Meloni accused the US president of launching "constant, unprovoked... senseless" attacks and insisted that her standing with Italian voters had nothing to do with her relationship with Trump.
"Being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you," she wrote, adding In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours."
