Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said her relationship with US President Donald Trump remains “cordial”, signalling an attempt to ease recent tensions that surfaced after disagreements over Italy’s stance on the Iran conflict.ย Speaking to Italian reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey on Tuesday (local time), Meloni stressed that ties between the two leaders remain stable despite a series of public exchanges in recent weeks. Her remarks came shortly after Trump publicly referred to her as a “nice person”, even as he criticised Italy’s decision not to support US military operations against Iran.
Trump softens tone but stands by criticism
Hours before Meloni’s comments, Trump met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, where he acknowledged that relations with the Italian Prime Minister had recently become strained. “I think she’s a nice person; actually, we’ve had a good week. We had a bad relationship. It became a little bad because she refused to help us again,” Trump said.
He went on to add, “I think she’s a nice person, actually. But I think she made a mistake,” referring to Italy’s refusal to assist the United States during the conflict with Iran. Trump also clarified that he did not put “heavy press” on Meloni to support the US military campaign. However, he admitted that Italy’s decision had “soured” their relationship “a little bit.”
What triggered the tensions?
The friction between the two leaders had intensified after Trump claimed that Meloni had “begged” him for a photograph during the G7 summit inย ย France’s Evian. Meloni rejected the allegation, and the episode escalated diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The disagreement also led Italy’s foreign minister to cancel a planned visit to the United States, highlighting the seriousness of the diplomatic fallout. The relationship came under further strain after Trump criticised several NATO allies, including Italy, for declining to back US military operations against Iran despite Washington’s longstanding security commitments to its allies.
Truth Social post added to the controversy
The disagreement gained further attention after Trump shared a photograph with Meloni on his Truth Social platform on Sunday with the caption, “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.” The post fuelled speculation about worsening ties between the two leaders, who had previously been seen as politically aligned on several international issues.
Italy says bilateral ties go beyond political leaders
Despite the recent exchanges, Italy continues to be one of the United States’ key allies within NATO. Meloni has repeatedly maintained that the relationship between Rome and Washington is built on long-term strategic interests rather than personal chemistry between leaders. “These relationships don’t begin or end because of who happens to be in power at a particular moment,” Meloni had said, adding that “foreign policy is more complex than that.”
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