Italy to ignore Trump's provocations, foreign minister says

Italy has decided to stop responding to provocative statements and messages from U.S. President Donald Trump, aiming to prevent further strain on relationships among allies. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the shift in approach, stating that Trump "speaks for himself" and that the U.S. president "likes to provoke, especially on social media."

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Trump speaks for himself. We have a U.S. president who likes to provoke, especially on social media. We have decided not to respond to these remarks anymore to avoid fueling disputes among allies.

"We have decided not to respond to these remarks anymore to avoid fueling disputes among allies," Tajani said in an interview with La Stampa, as cited by Reuters. He emphasized that Italy's close relationship with Washington remains unchanged, affirming, "We are and will remain friends of the United States, as a strategic partner for us and for Europe."

The Italian government's decision comes after Trump posted a mocking photo of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on his Truth Social platform with the caption, "She needs a restraining order." This post reignited tensions, recalling a previous interview where Trump claimed Meloni had "begged" him for a photo at the G7 summit, a claim Meloni denied.

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We are and will remain friends of the United States, as a strategic partner for us and for Europe.

Although Meloni was once a close European ally of Trump and attended his 2025 inauguration, their relationship has cooled. Meloni recently criticized Trump's verbal attacks on Pope Francis, which Trump countered by accusing Meloni of lacking courage. Italian media have also responded to Trump's provocations, with the newspaper Il Foglio publishing a photo of Trump with Vladimir Putin under the same "restraining order" caption.

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She needs a restraining order.