Italy's Meloni says Trump 'made up' story that she 'begged' him for photo at G7

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Italy's Meloni says Trump 'made up' story that she 'begged' him for photo at G713 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GooglePaul Kirby ,Europe digital editorandDavide Ghighlione ,Rome 'Neither I nor Italy ever beg': Meloni on Trump after 'false' anecdoteItaly's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, has cancelled a trip to the US after President Donald Trump told Italian TV that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had "begged" him for a picture with her. Meloni has said his comments were entirely "made-up". The highly public exchange between the two leaders was an indication that their earlier close ties have frayed in the months since Trump's decision to go to war with Iran.

Trump and Meloni were seen in close conversation at the G7 summit at Évian-les-Bains in eastern France this week, and the Italian leader later told reporters their relationship was unchanged and there had been "no recriminations". However, Trump has since given 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. "The two leaders were filmed several times at Évian, including while they appeared engrossed in conversation on a small sofa, with Meloni smiling as they talked.

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"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. Meloni reacted in total disbelief, saying she was "frankly stunned", in a brief address to her seven million followers on Instagram.

"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 - 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 has approached the White House for comment. Meloni's evident shock at Trump's outburst comes after a series of incidents that have weakened what had begun as a close political relationship. Handout via REUTERSGiorgia Meloni talked to the US president on Wednesday at the G7 summit in Évian in FranceElected in 2022, Meloni was the sole European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025 and was widely seen by her EU colleagues as a potential bridge-builder with the US president.

But Meloni has been outspoken in her opposition to the US war with Iran and in April Trump hit back with a phone interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera in which he said, "I thought she had courage, but I was wrong". ReutersMeloni and Trump were pictured several times at the G7 summitWhen Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy", Meloni said his remarks were unacceptable.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.