U.S. President Donald Trump made striking remarks about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Speaking to journalists at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump described Meloni as a 'good person' but criticized her for not helping in the conflict with Iran.
Trump said his relationship with Meloni had 'deteriorated a bit,' adding, 'Our relationship has soured a little because she refused to help us. But I like her. I actually think she's a good person. However, I think she made a mistake.'
Truth Social post reignites tension
A photo Trump shared on Truth Social over the weekend reignited tension with the Italian prime minister ahead of the NATO summit. The photo showed Meloni looking up at Trump, with a caption reading 'A RESTRAINING ORDER IS NEEDED.'
The Italian government opted not to respond to this latest attack on Truth Social. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told La Stampa newspaper, 'Trump speaks for himself. We have a U.S. president who particularly enjoys provoking on social media. We have decided to stop responding to such remarks.'
Italy refuses base access
Another source of tension between the two countries was Italy's refusal in March to allow U.S. military planes to land at the Sigonella airbase in Sicily. The decision, justified on the grounds that Washington had not obtained prior permission from the Italian government, caused unease in the Trump administration.
Meloni's office did not comment on how she would behave when meeting Trump in Ankara, but an anonymous source rejected the possibility that the Italian prime minister would ignore Trump. The source said Meloni knows how to handle such situations and could greet Trump 'with a smile.'
Background of the relationship
Meloni was once seen as a close ally of Trump. Seeking to build a close relationship with Trump by leveraging their shared right-wing political stance, Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump's presidential inauguration in 2025.
However, relations began to strain last month when Trump said in an interview with Italian television channel La7 that Meloni had 'begged' to take a photo with him at the G7 summit in France. Meloni denied the claim, accusing Trump of fabricating the story. Additionally, Meloni criticized Trump for lashing out at Pope Leo over the Pope's condemnation of the Iran war, which drew a sharp reaction from the U.S. president.
