Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Friday canceled a planned visit to the United States, days after US President Donald Trump reportedly said in an interview that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 'begged' for a photo with him at the G7 summit and he agreed only because he 'felt sorry for her.' Tajani called Trump's words 'grave and offensive to all of Italy.' Meloni said she was 'stunned' and called the remarks 'absolute fiction,' adding: 'Italy never begs.'
Italy's top diplomat canceled a planned US visit Friday, as a transatlantic diplomatic crisis escalated over President Donald Trump's reported remarks about Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X that Trump's words — which he described as 'grave and offensive' — 'offend the whole of Italy' and announced he was canceling his June 21–22 trip.
The dispute stems from an interview Trump gave to Italian channel La7. According to a transcript provided by the network, Trump said Meloni 'wanted a picture with me so badly' at the G7 summit in France last week and he agreed only because he 'felt sorry for her.' The network did not release an original audio recording, publishing only a dubbed version.
Meloni responded sharply, calling Trump's account 'absolute fiction' and saying she was 'stunned' by his behavior toward an ally. 'I do not know why the US president treats his allies this way — this is not the first time,' she said. 'I can only say it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination toward the enemies of the West and the United States, whose leaders he tends to pamper and treat far more indulgently.' She added: 'One thing he should remember — both I and Italy never beg.'
As The Zioneer reported earlier Friday, Meloni's initial response had already framed the comments as fabricated. The cancellation of Tajani's visit marks a concrete diplomatic step. Trump's remarks have strained US-Italy relations, with Meloni — generally considered a pragmatic, right-of-center European leader — taking a notably confrontational stance toward Washington.
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