Meloni criticizes Trump’s ‘made-up’ remarks that she ‘begged’ to be photographed with him

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 summit, in which he claimed that she had asked to be photographed with him, The Guardian reported. “Neither I nor Italy ever beg anyone for anything,” Meloni said in a video published on X. The Italian prime minister said she was “astonished” by what she described as Trump’s “completely made-up” claims. “I do not know why the President of the United States behaves this way toward his allies; it is not the first time. I can only say that it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination toward the enemies of the West and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence,” she added. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to Italian television channel La7, said that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had “begged” him to take a photograph with her during the G7 summit. “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,” Trump said. In response, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled his planned visit to the United States. “President Trump’s serious and offensive words directed at Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy. For this reason, I have decided to cancel my visit to the United States scheduled for June 21–22,” he wrote in a post on X. The G7 summit was held from June 15 to 17 in Évian-les-Bains, France.