Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pushed back hard Thursday after Donald Trump told reporters she had “begged” him to pose for a photo together at the G7 summit in France.
“Italy doesn’t beg,” Meloni said in a public statement, according to reports reviewed by the Wail. “And neither do I.”
Trump made the original claim to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, saying the Italian leader had sought him out for the photograph. He offered no further detail.
Meloni, who had been considered one of the European leaders closest to Trump heading into the summit, made clear the characterisation was unacceptable. Her office issued no formal diplomatic complaint as of Thursday evening.
The exchange drew immediate attention across European capitals, where leaders have been managing fraught relationships with Washington over trade and defence commitments.
Neither government had announced a bilateral meeting between Trump and Meloni. The G7 summit continues through the week.