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Paul Kirby,Europe integer editorand Davide Ghighlione,Rome
Italy's overseas minister, Antonio Tajani, has cancelled a travel to the US aft President Donald Trump told Italian TV that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had "begged" him for a representation with her.
Meloni has said his comments were wholly "made-up".
The highly nationalist speech betwixt the 2 leaders was an denotation that their earlier adjacent ties person frayed successful the months since Trump's determination to spell to warfare with Iran.
Trump and Meloni were seen successful adjacent speech astatine the G7 acme astatine Évian-les-Bains successful eastbound France this week, and the Italian person aboriginal told reporters their narration was unchanged and determination had been "no recriminations".
However, Trump has since fixed a telephone interrogation with Italy's La7 TV transmission successful which helium alleged: "She begged maine to instrumentality a photograph with her; I felt atrocious for her."
The 2 leaders were filmed respective times astatine Évian, including portion they appeared engrossed successful speech connected a tiny sofa, with Meloni smiling arsenic they talked.
"She's astir apt blessed I spoke to her," helium said. La7 did not nutrient Trump's archetypal words successful English, but voiced them implicit successful Italian.
Meloni reacted successful full disbelief, saying she was "frankly stunned", successful a little code to her 7 cardinal followers connected Instagram.
"I don't cognize wherefore the US president behaves this mode towards allies," she said, adding it was not the archetypal clip it had happened.
"I tin lone accidental it is regrettable helium does not amusement the aforesaid determination towards the enemies of the West and towards the enemies of the US - [enemies] whose leaders helium alternatively appears to beryllium acold much accommodating with."
"But determination is 1 happening helium needs to remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg."
The BBC has approached the White House for comment.
Meloni's evident daze astatine Trump's outburst comes aft a bid of incidents that person weakened what had begun arsenic a adjacent governmental relationship.
Handout via REUTERS
Giorgia Meloni talked to the US president connected Wednesday astatine the G7 acme successful Evian successful France
Elected successful 2022, Meloni was the sole European person to be Trump's inauguration successful January 2025 and was wide seen by her EU colleagues arsenic a imaginable bridge-builder with the US president.
But Meloni has been outspoken successful her absorption to the US warfare with Iran and successful April Trump deed backmost with a telephone interrogation with Italian regular Corriere della Sera successful which helium said, "I thought she had courage, but I was wrong".
Reuters
Meloni and Trump were pictured respective times astatine the G7 summit
When Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of being "weak connected transgression and unspeakable connected overseas policy", Meloni said his remarks were unacceptable.
Responding to Trump's latest interview, Italy's President Sergio Mattarella instantly phoned Meloni to connection his support, and figures from crossed the governmental spectrum successful Italy sprang to her defence.
No-one had the close to talk to an Italian premier curate successful specified an arrogant tone, said Filippo Sensi, a legislator connected the near from the absorption Democratic Party.
Italy did not merit specified humiliation, said Five Star Movement person Giuseppe Conte, who added that chasing favours with Washington should ne'er travel astatine the disbursal of nationalist dignity and interest.
From Meloni's ain Brothers of Italy party, Senate radical person Lucio Malan noted that Trump's words were portion of a broader signifier of violative remarks helium had directed astatine assorted European leaders, and they were damaging supra each to Trump's ain representation and authority.
Malan suggested that the video from the G7 successful world showed a precise antithetic dynamic to what Trump had described, and helium suggested that what genuinely irritated the US president whitethorn person been Meloni's grounds of saying nary to Washington erstwhile it became necessary.
Government state Matteo Salvini from the League said simply: "Whoever attacks Giorgia, attacks each of us."
English (US)·