Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sharply rejected claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that she "begged" him for a photograph during the recent G7 summit, describing the comments as fabricated and offensive.
The diplomatic row erupted on Friday after Trump reportedly told journalists that Meloni had been eager to take a picture with him and that he agreed only because he "felt sorry for her."
According to a transcript cited by AFP, Trump said Meloni “wanted a picture with me so badly” and suggested he consented to the request out of sympathy.
The remarks triggered an immediate backlash in Italy, with Meloni publicly dismissing Trump's account as false and expressing disappointment over what she described as a pattern of disparaging comments directed at America's allies.
In comments posted on her X account, Meloni said: “Donald Trump's statements are completely made up, I'm frankly appalled. I don't know why the President of the United States behaves this way with his own allies; after all, it's not the first time it's happened.”
