Trump hits out at Italy's Meloni after pushback on G7 photo claim

Trump said the Italian leader asked "over and over" for a picture at G7, after she said the US president "made-up" a story that she "begged" for a photo. Trump hits out at Italy's Meloni after pushback on G7 photo claim 'Neither I nor Italy ever beg': Meloni on Trump after 'unfounded' anecdote Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Giorgia Meloni talked to the US president on Wednesday at the G7 summit in Evian in France US President Donald Trump speaks to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, June 17 US President Donald Trump has hit out at Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, repeating his claim that she asked "over and over" for a picture of them together at the G7 summit this week. In a post on Truth Social, Trump also accused her of not supporting US efforts to "deny] Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon". He said that Meloni caused "a great logistical inconvenience" by barring the US from using Italian air facilities for American military operations in Iran. On Friday, the prime minister said she had been astonished by Trump's initial claim that she "begged" for a photo. In his post on Truth Social a day later, the US president said Meloni was "doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity". "Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her "numbers up." No thanks!!!," he added. In March, Italy reportedly denied US military air craft from landing at Sigonella air base in Sicily for operations against Iran. The continued exchange has highlighted a developing rift between the two countries since Trump's military action against Iran this year. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has also cancelled a trip to the US early next week. 'Neither I nor Italy ever beg': Meloni on Trump after 'false' anecdote Trump and Meloni were pictured in close conversation at the G7 summit in France this week, and the Italian leader later told reporters their relationship was unchanged and there had been "no recriminations". But soon afterwards, Trump gave a phone interview with Italy's La7 TV channel in which he alleged: "She begged me to take a photo with her; I felt sorry for her." "She's probably happy I spoke to her," he said. La7 did not produce Trump's original words in English, but voiced them over in Italian. Responding to the claim, Meloni in an Instagram video said she was "frankly stunned". "I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards allies," she said, adding it was not the first time it had happened. "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 - [enemies] whose leaders he instead appears to be far more accommodating with." "But there is one thing he needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg." The leaders also clashed earlier this year after Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was "not a big fan". Meloni later said the comments were "unacceptable". The two country leaders have had a close political relationship, with Meloni the sole European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025. Italy's Meloni says Trump 'made up' story that she 'begged' him for photo at G7 English-born from an Italian family Luca Vettese has mixed World Cup emotions. The highly public exchange is an indication that their earlier close ties have frayed since Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. The Princess of Wales reflects on an "increasingly digitalised world" in a new essay, written after her return to overseas visits following her treatment for cancer. More than eight million South Africans are living with HIV – the highest number of any country in the world. The refurbished Boeing 747-8 will be used to transport the US president once it completes a final test phase. JD Vance has not travelled to Switzerland as the Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah and that four of its own soldiers had been killed. Her comments came after Trump said that his once-close ally had "begged" for a photograph with him at a G7 summit. The couple were opening a site in Chicago, which the former president described as a "celebration of community".