Italy-U.S. political ties face new strain as Meloni rejects Trump's photo claim

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Italy-U.S. ties face new strain

Highlights

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancels a U.S. trip and calls Donald Trump's G7 photo claim about Giorgia Meloni 'serious and offensive.'
Giorgia Meloni publicly denies Trump's assertion she 'begged' for a photo at the Evian-les-Bains G7, calling it 'completely fabricated' in an official video.
The diplomatic fallout prompts cross-party Italian political support for Meloni, further straining U.S.-Italy relations already pressured by differences over Iran, Ukraine, and Gaza.

Diplomatic dispute widens after G7 remarks

As reported by La7, Trump says in an interview broadcast Friday that Meloni had “begged” him for a photo opportunity during their meeting at the just-concluded G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. The broadcaster posts a dubbed version of the exchange online, rather than the original English audio.

Italy's government responds sharply. Meloni calls the claim “completely fabricated” in a video message and says she is stunned that the U.S. president would invent such remarks about an ally, adding that “Italy and I do not beg.”

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancels a planned trip to the U.S. this weekend and describes Trump's comments as “serious and offensive” toward Meloni and the country. The White House does not immediately respond to a request for comment on Meloni's remarks.

Broader pressure on U.S.-Italy relations

Friday's clash highlights a broader deterioration in ties between Trump and one of his closest European counterparts. Their relationship has been under pressure over the U.S. war in Iran, Trump's tariffs on Europe, Italy's support for Ukraine and Washington's strong backing of Israel in the Gaza war.

Meloni had initially tried to position herself as a bridge between Washington and the European Union at the start of Trump's second mandate, and she is the only EU head of state to attend his inauguration. But Trump also turns on her in April after she refuses to support his war in Iran and defends Pope Leo XIV when Trump lashes out at the pontiff.

Support for Meloni spreads across Italy's political establishment on Friday, including a call from President Sergio Mattarella. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini says that anyone attacking Meloni is attacking all Italians, while Justice Minister Carlo Nordio and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also condemn Trump's remarks.

Political scientist Lorenzo Castellani of Luiss Guido Carli University says the episode could ultimately benefit Meloni domestically because critics had previously portrayed her as overly close to Trump. Tajani had been scheduled to attend an Italy-U.S. business forum in Miami on Sunday and meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a U.S. State Department announcement.

Our earlier coverage of oil prices rising after U.S.-Iran follow-up talks were postponed explained how the delay revived supply-risk concerns and pushed a geopolitical premium back into crude. We also noted that conditions around the Strait of Hormuz — including tanker traffic, insurance costs, and any renewed security incidents — remained a key swing factor for markets.

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