Italian diplomat cancels trip to U.S. as Meloni slams Trump

Italy's government has strongly rebuked former U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "begged" for a photo opportunity during the recent G7 summit. The Italian Foreign Ministry deemed Trump's claims "serious and offensive" toward both Meloni and Italy, prompting Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to abruptly cancel a planned trip to the United States.

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Italy and I do not beg.

Meloni herself responded by posting a video, calling Trump's statements "completely fabricated" and concluding with a firm declaration: "Italy and I do not beg." She expressed her astonishment at the U.S. president's conduct towards allies, noting that this was not the first instance of such behavior. This appears to reference a previous interview where Trump criticized Meloni's stance on the U.S.-Israel conflict.

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Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned.

During the G7 meeting in France, Trump reportedly told the La7 network that Meloni had "begged" him for a photo-op, though he eventually agreed. Meloni, in her video response, stated that certain claims warrant an immediate reply. She contrasted Trump's approach to allies with his perceived accommodation of "enemies of the West" and "enemies of the United States."

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Italy and I do not beg.