Meloni Blasts Trump's 'Completely Made-Up' Photo Claims, Sparking International Row

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has vehemently refuted claims made by former US President Donald Trump, who asserted she 'begged' for a photograph with him during the recent G7 summit. Meloni expressed her 'shocked' and 'stunned' reaction in a video posted to social media, labeling Trump's declarations as 'completely made-up' and 'totally invented'. She questioned why the US president would behave in such a manner with his own allies, adding, 'Italy and I never beg'.

Trump's controversial remarks were made during an interview, specifically to Italian journalist Daniele Compatangelo and later broadcast by Italian TV network La7. He was quoted as saying, 'She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her. 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.'

Meloni's rebuttal was direct and strong, emphasizing that 'some things deserve an immediate response'. She further commented on the unfortunate nature of Trump not showing the same determination towards 'the west’s enemies' as he apparently does towards allies. This incident provoked widespread fury in Italy and elicited words of solidarity for Meloni from across the political spectrum.

The G7 meeting was ostensibly an opportunity for Meloni and Trump to mend their increasingly strained relationship. The pair had experienced a significant fallout in April, primarily due to two key issues: Italy's refusal to support US military operations in Iran (or the US-Israeli war in Iran) and Trump's subsequent criticism of Pope Leo XIV (or Pope Leo) in response to the pontiff's condemnation of the war. Despite this, Meloni had previously stated on the sidelines of the G7 that she and Trump, being individuals with 'fairly strong characters', understood each other's points of view and had gone 'back to talking about what needs to be done with the same ease as the last time we met', denying media reports of 'jibes'.

The Prime Minister's office, Palazzo Chigi, had even published two photographs of the meeting between Meloni and Trump at the end of an artificial intelligence session, and a video showed the two shaking hands, suggesting a cordial interaction contrary to Trump's claims.

The repercussions in Italy were immediate and significant. Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, announced the cancellation of his planned trip to the US, stating that Trump's 'serious and offensive words' against Prime Minister Giorgia offended the whole of Italy. Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement, expressed that Italy 'doesn’t deserve to find itself so blatantly humiliated'. Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary to the prime minister’s office, condemned Trump's 'inappropriate outbursts', suggesting they were 'wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe' and making the US 'unpopular across the entire European continent'.

Historically, Meloni had nurtured good relations with Trump, largely rooted in shared nationalistic rhetoric. She was notably the only European leader invited to attend his inauguration as US president, highlighting a previously close alliance that has clearly deteriorated.