Meloni Trump G7 row as Italy rejects claim she begged for a photo

Italy’s government pushed back on Friday after US President Donald Trump claimed Premier Giorgia Meloni had begged for a photo during the G7 summit. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called the claim serious and offensive. Tajani then cancelled a planned United States trip. Meloni posted a video denying the account and challenging Trump’s remarks.

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Trump made the comment in an interview aired on Friday morning on the La7 network. A La7 correspondent asked about Ukraine, but Trump raised Meloni instead. The exchange moved to their meeting at the G7 in Evian-les-Bains, France. La7 reported Trump said Meloni had begged for a photo-op.

Giorgia Meloni rejects Donald Trump claim

In the video, Meloni said a fast reply was needed. "Donald Trumps statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned,\" Meloni said. Meloni also questioned Trump’s treatment of allies. Meloni pointed to past episodes and said this was not the first time. Meloni ended with: Italy and I do not beg.

Meloni’s remarks appeared to reference an April interview Trump gave to Corriere della Sera. In that interview, Trump criticised Meloni’s refusal to back the US-Israel war in Iran. Meloni did not answer publicly at that time. By Friday, Meloni signalled frustration with repeated comments and said allies deserved respect.

\"I can only say that its a shame he doesnt show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States - toward leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating,\" Meloni said Friday. \"But theres one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not beg.\"

The White House did not return an immediate request for comment on Meloni’s statements. La7 said its site carried a dubbed version of the exchange. The broadcaster did not post the original English audio. Video from the summit showed Trump and Meloni speaking several times. One clip showed both leaders seated alone on a small sofa.

Donald Trump remarks trigger Italy government support for Giorgia Meloni

Support for Meloni spread across Italy’s government and political spectrum by Friday afternoon. President Sergio Mattarella called Meloni, according to the report. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini posted: \"Whoever attacks @GiorgiaMeloni attacks all of us,\" Salvini wrote. Other ministers also said the episode harmed ties with Washington.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio cited US losses in World War II while criticising Trump’s words. \"The thousands of crosses marking the graves of American soldiers who died to free us from Nazi-Fascist dictatorship did not deserve such a painful blow to our fraternal ties,\" Nordio said on X.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Meloni would not beg anyone for a photo. \"I can, however, imagine how much it cost her to set aside what Trump had said weeks ago, to serve the interests of Italy, of Europe, and of the West,\" Crosetto posted on X. Crosetto added: \"Jokes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance.\"

Italy-US ties and Donald Trump trip cancellation by Antonio Tajani

Tajani had planned to travel on Sunday for an Italy-US business forum in Miami. Tajani was also due to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A US State Department announcement had listed the meeting. After Trump’s comments, Tajani cancelled the visit and framed the issue as an insult to Meloni and Italy.

Meloni had tried to strengthen long-standing US-Italian ties when Trump began his second mandate. Meloni also positioned Italy as a bridge between Washington and the European Union. Meloni was the only EU head of state at Trump’s inauguration. The approach aimed to keep communication open as US and EU interests often clash.

Ties later weakened over several disputes. These included the US war in Iran, which Meloni called illegal. Another issue was Trump’s position on Ukraine, which Italy strongly supports. Trump’s tariffs and strong US support of Israel during the war in Gaza also added strain between the two governments.

Meloni had been seen as one of Trump’s closest European allies. Both leaders shared views on migration limits and traditional values. Before Trump’s 2025 inauguration, Meloni visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Meloni said the meeting exceeded expectations. Meloni also said it offered a chance to confirm a relationship that promised to be very solid.

After that meeting, Trump praised Meloni in public remarks, using terms like fantastic and a friend. Still, differences grew over Ukraine after Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Meloni continued supporting Kyiv while Trump wavered. Meloni also warned against US threats to take Greenland by force. Meloni said Italy would never support such a move.

The dispute over the G7 photo claim added to existing policy tensions between Rome and Washington. Italian ministers treated Trump’s remarks as a wider slight toward Italy. With Tajani’s trip cancelled and public support rallying around Meloni, officials signalled a firmer line. No immediate response from the White House was reported.

With inputs from PTI