MELONI DENIES TRUMP CLAIM SHE BEGGED FOR PHOTOGRAPH

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected an account by Donald Trump that she had requested a photograph with him at a G7 summit in France. Trump told an Italian television channel that Meloni had "begged" him to take a picture with her, and that he agreed because he felt sympathetic towards her. Meloni stated in a video address that Trump's account was "completely made up" and said she was "astonished" by his comments. She said neither she nor Italy had ever begged anyone for anything.

Video footage from the G7 event showed Meloni and Trump in conversation at length, though Trump suggested he had merely obliged her by speaking with her. Trump was quoted by La7 TV as saying he would not have taken the photograph had he not felt sorry for her. Meloni and Trump were previously close allies, with Meloni being the only European leader to attend Trump's 2025 inauguration. Their relationship deteriorated after Meloni backed Pope Leo when Trump criticised the Pontiff's condemnation of the Iran war, and after she did not support Middle East conflict policies that Trump favoured.

Meloni used the dispute to broaden her criticism of Trump's approach to international relations. She said Trump showed greater respect to "enemies of the West" than to established allies, and expressed disappointment that he did not demonstrate the same determination with adversaries as he did with partners. Meloni stated that Trump's treatment of allies differed markedly from his conduct towards leaders of nations she characterised as opposed to Western interests.