Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reacted sharply to US President Donald Trump's statements, describing as "completely fabricated" claims that she had asked him to take a photo together during the G7 summit in France.
In a public statement, Meloni said she was surprised by Trump's comments, emphasizing that she does not understand why the American president behaves in this way towards his allies.
"I don't know why the president of the United States behaves like this with his allies. There's only one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy beg anyone," said Meloni.
Trump's comments came during an interview with Italian television, where he claimed that Meloni had asked him to take a photo together during the G7 summit and that he had only agreed "out of regret." Footage from the summit, however, shows the two leaders chatting next to each other during the meeting.
The controversy has sparked strong reactions in Italy. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the cancellation of a planned visit to the United States next week, calling Trump's statements "serious and offensive" to the prime minister and all of Italy.
Giovanbattista Fazzolari, one of Meloni's closest associates, also criticized the American president, stating that such statements risk damaging the historic relations between the United States and Europe.
The clash comes just days after the G7 summit, where relations between Meloni and Trump appeared to have improved after previous tensions over the conflict in Iran.
