Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused Donald Trump of lying after the former US president claimed she begged him for a photo at the G7 summit. The explosive row has escalated, with Meloni releasing a video denying the allegation and criticizing Trump's behavior towards allies.
The G7 Photo Incident
During the G7 summit in France, Trump and Meloni were photographed deep in conversation on a small sofa. Trump later told Italian TV channel La7 in a phone interview: "She begged me to take a photo with her. I felt sorry for her. She's probably happy I spoke to her."
Meloni's Response
Meloni responded with a furious video on Instagram, saying she was "frankly stunned" by Trump's claims. "Italy and I never beg," she said. "I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards allies." She noted this was not the first time Trump had made such remarks, recalling an April interview with Corriere della Sera where Trump criticized her stance on the Iran war, which she did not respond to publicly at the time.
Meloni added: "I can only say it is regrettable he does not show the same determination towards the enemies of the West and towards the enemies of the US - whose leaders he instead appears to be far more accommodating with."
Diplomatic Fallout
The dispute has prompted Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani to cancel a planned trip to the US early next week. Tajani called Trump's claims "serious and offensive" toward Meloni and all of Italy.
Broader Context
The row comes amid tensions over US-Iran nuclear talks. Trump's push for high-stakes negotiations hit a snag when Iranian officials did not travel to Switzerland as planned, with sources citing Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon as a precondition for talks. Israel and Hezbollah agreed to renew their ceasefire on Friday, which could help revive US-Iran talks. Trump wrote on social media: "We didn't meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We'll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!"
