ROME: Italy reacted angrily on Friday (Jun 19) after reported comments by US President Donald Trump mocking Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with the foreign minister cancelling a planned US visit.
Meloni said she was “frankly stunned” by Trump’s comments to Italian channel La7.
According to a written transcript of the phone interview provided to AFP by the network, he said Meloni “begged me for a picture” at the G7 summit this week and he agreed only because he “felt sorry for her”.
He also suggested that Meloni was probably “happy that I talked to her, I didn’t have to talk to her”.
Meloni called what Trump said “made up”, adding: “Neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
“I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies,” the far-right leader wrote on X.
“I can only say that it’s a pity he doesn’t show the same determination with enemies of the West, with enemies of the United States, with leaders with whom, instead, he is far more accommodating,” she said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X called Trump’s words “grave and offensive” and said he was cancelling a visit to the US planned for June 21 and 22.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio said the comments were a “painful injury” to Italy-US ties, while Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said “these jokes do not benefit anyone”.