Trump accuses Meloni of ingratitude, trying to 'boost her rating' with G7 photo

WASHINGTON, June 20. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump harshly criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Truth Social, accusing her of ingratitude for refusing to support the US military operation against Iran and trying to get a joint photo at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France to boost her own rating.

"Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France. She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon," Trump wrote.

He also stated that Meloni did not allow the US to use Italian landing strips and runways, creating "a great logistical inconvenience," despite the fact that Washington spends "hundreds of billions of dollars" annually to protect Italy and other "so-called NATO allies." "Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her 'numbers up.' No thanks!" Trump wrote.

Earlier, in an interview with the Italian television channel La7, the US leader stated that the Italian Prime Minister begged him to take a photo with her on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Meloni, in turn, called Trump's statements completely fabricated.

The US President had previously accused Meloni, like all European leaders, of being unwilling to help with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions further increased when the Italian Prime Minister publicly defended Pope Leo XIV, calling the US leader's statements about him unacceptable. Prior to this, Meloni had avoided criticizing Trump, whom she had proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize. In the EU, the Italian Prime Minister was considered one of the European leaders closest to the US President, for which she was criticized.