“Neither I Nor Italy Beg”: Giorgia Meloni Slams Trump Over “Fabricated” G7 Photo Story as Diplomatic Tensions Rise

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has officially rejected claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that she “begged” for a photograph at the recent G7 summit, calling the narrative “completely made up”. The escalating dispute has triggered a diplomatic rift, resulting in the cancellation of high-level Italian visits to the United States.

RMN News Political Desk
New Delhi | June 20, 2026

Diplomatic Crisis Deepens Between Once-Close Allies

The historically strong relationship between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump has reached a new low following a public exchange of accusations regarding conduct at the G7 summit in France.

The controversy erupted after President Trump, speaking in a social media post and an interview with Italian channel La7, claimed that Meloni had “asked, over and over, for a picture” with him during the gathering. Trump suggested that Meloni was eager to bolster her domestic popularity and was “probably happy” that he chose to speak with her.

Prime Minister Meloni responded with uncharacteristic sharpness on Friday, dismissing the President’s claims as an outright fabrication. “There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg,” Meloni stated, expressing deep disappointment over the remarks.

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Security and Logistics at the Heart of the Row

Beyond the personal spat over photography, the tension appears rooted in significant geopolitical disagreements. In a post dated June 20, President Trump denounced Meloni for allegedly denying the United States the use of Italian landing strips and runways during military operations involving Iran.

Trump criticized Italy’s refusal to support the U.S. mission to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, despite the “hundreds of Billions of Dollars” the U.S. contributes to NATO. He further claimed Meloni only seeks to reconcile now because her popularity in Italy is “doing poorly”.

Diplomatic Retaliation

The fallout from these remarks was immediate. Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani announced the cancellation of his planned visit to Miami, which had been scheduled for June 21 and 22. Tajani described Trump’s words as “serious and offensive,” stating they “offend all of Italy”.

This public discord marks a stark departure from the previous year, when Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump’s 2025 inauguration. Relations began to sour recently after Meloni criticized Trump for his attacks on Pope Leo, who had condemned the conflict in Iran. In response, Trump has publicly accused the Italian leader of “lacking courage”.