Donald Trump and Georgia Meloni (archive photo)
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a “nice person” but criticized her for refusing to support the United States during its conflict with Iran, in the latest escalation in a diplomatic row that has strained relations between the two leaders.“She declined to participate, which strained my relationship with her a little bit. But I love her. I think she’s a nice person, actually. But I think she made a mistake,” Trump told reporters in Turkey, where he is attending a NATO summit.The dispute dates back to March, when Italy refused to allow US military planes bound for the Middle East to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily, saying that Washington had failed to obtain prior permission from the government in Rome.Meloni, once considered one of Trump’s closest European allies, saw relations deteriorate further last month after Trump told Italian TV channel La7 that she “begged” him to take a photo of her during the G7 summit in France. The Italian Prime Minister rejected this claim, and accused the US President of fabricating the story.She also publicly criticized Trump this year for attacking Pope Leo after the pontiff condemned the Iran war.
In response, Trump rebuked the Italian leader for refusing to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route that Iran has effectively blocked in the wake of US-Israeli strikes.Trump’s new comments came after he was asked about a Truth Social post he shared over the weekend that showed a photo of Meloni looking at him with the caption, “A restraining order is needed.” The post ignited tensions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, where the two leaders are expected to meet.The Italian government has refused to respond publicly to Trump’s latest comments, with ministers indicating they do not want to inflame tensions further and risk damaging bilateral relations.“Trump speaks for himself. We have an American president who loves to provoke, especially on social media. We have decided to stop responding to these statements,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told La Stampa newspaper on Tuesday.Meloni’s office also declined to comment on how she would handle her meeting with Trump in Ankara. However, a source close to the Prime Minister, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied suggestions that she might ignore the US President, saying she knows how to handle such situations and would likely receive him “with a smile.”(With Reuters inputs)
