Meloni Denies Trump's Claim She Begged for Photo

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has forcefully refuted claims made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that Meloni pleaded with him for a photograph during the G7 summit. Meloni described Trump's assertions as "totally invented" and expressed her astonishment.

"Neither I nor Italy have ever begged," Meloni declared in a social media post, responding to a transcript of a phone interview Trump gave to Italian television channel La 7. In the interview, Trump alleged that Meloni "begged me for a photo" at the G7 summit, adding that he felt sorry for her.

Meloni questioned Trump's behavior towards allies and suggested he shows more leniency towards adversaries of the West and the United States. She noted this was not the first time such an incident had occurred. The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, canceled a planned visit to the U.S. in response to Trump's "serious and offensive words."

During the G7 summit, Meloni had previously described her relationship with Trump as unchanged, attributing any disagreements to their strong personalities and defense of national interests. She stated that no clarifications were needed when they disagreed. Despite these past exchanges, Meloni and Trump were observed interacting on several occasions during the summit.