A few minutes' phone call was enough to erase the thaw between Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni, celebrated, perhaps too hastily, at the G7 summit in Evian. A few harsh words, uttered by the American president on L'Aria che tira, landed in the middle of the European Council in Brussels, where the Italian prime minister was present.
"Giorgia Meloni begged for a photo, I felt sorry for her," Trump's unprecedented attack on his former ally. These words could mark a turning point in relations between Rome and Washington, threatening to turn the conflict from personal to diplomatic. It was Trump himself, contacted by the La7 reporter for clarification on the conflict in Ukraine and the implications for negotiations regarding Kiev's possible EU membership, who asked to speak about Meloni: "How is your prime minister? How is she?" he asked the reporter. "What did she say when she met me? She's probably happy I spoke to her! I didn't have to talk to her. I don't know what to say. She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her!"
Meloni's response was immediate, vehement, and harsh. "His statements are completely fabricated, I'm frankly shocked," but "remember: Italy and I never beg," was the message the prime minister conveyed in a short video on social media, filmed from Europa Building. "This isn't the first time he's behaved this way with his allies. It's unfortunate that Trump doesn't have the same determination with the West's enemies," the prime minister emphasized in a passage of her video.
Meloni received the solidarity of Sergio Mattarella, who was quickly joined by the entire center-right. And, with varying degrees, the opposition. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani went further, choosing to cancel his mission to the US on June 21 and 22. He was expected at the Miami Business Forum. He will not be there. "President Trump's serious words against the Prime Minister offend all of Italy," Tajani wrote in black and white on X. "Trump's words are worse than a lapse in style," echoed Defense Minister Guido Crosetto .
And a few hours later, Trump doubled down: "Meloni was a big supporter of mine. But I don't want her as a fan, because she wasn't there, neither she nor NATO, when it came to the Strait of Hormuz issue," was his new attack, this time delivered to NBC.
(Unioneonline)