Trump mocks Meloni again ahead of NATO summit

US President Donald Trump reignited a public spat with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni just before a NATO summit, posting a mocking photo of her on Truth Social with the caption "Restraining order needed."

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We have said from the beginning that we will not react to statements of this kind. Therefore, we just continue. We are convinced that transatlantic relations go far beyond individual statements.

Meloni's government has adopted a policy of not responding to such provocations. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Sky TG24 that transatlantic relations are stronger than individual remarks. He added that Trump's comments "comment on themselves."

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Trump's statements 'comment on themselves.'

The dispute escalated after Trump claimed Meloni had "begged" him for a photo at the G7 summit in Évian, France, a claim Meloni called "completely fabricated." She pushed back against his latest remarks, but has also signaled a desire to de-escalate.

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completely fabricated

Meloni stated recently that bilateral cooperation with the US should return to normal, emphasizing the long and solid history of US-Italy relations, which she believes cannot be questioned by social media discussions. The NATO summit in Ankara begins Tuesday.

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I think that our bilateral cooperation with the USA should return to normal.