Remarks come as Italian PM suspends defence agreement with Israel amid growing domestic pressure over conflict
Donald Trump lashed out at one of his closest allies on Tuesday, saying Italy’s Giorgia Meloni lacked courage in light of her failure to join the US in attacking Iran.
“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” the US president said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The attack came as Meloni said that her far-right government would suspend the automatic renewal of its defence cooperation agreement with Israel “in light of the current situation”.
“Giorgia Meloni doesn’t want to help us in the war. I’m shocked,” Trump said. “Do people like the fact that your president isn’t doing anything to get the oil [in Iran]? Does she like it? I can’t imagine.”
