By The South Asia Times

Rome/Washington – A dramatic diplomatic row erupted between the United States and Italy on Friday after President Donald Trump claimed that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had "begged" him for a photograph at the recent G7 summit in France. Meloni fired back with a blistering rebuttal, declaring: "I and Italy never beg."

The exchange marks a stunning deterioration in relations between two leaders who were once considered close political allies, with Meloni having been the only European leader to attend Trump's 2025 inauguration.

In a phone interview with Italy's La7 TV channel, Trump alleged that Meloni had repeatedly sought a photo opportunity with him during the G7 gathering in Evian-les-Bains. "She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly," Trump said. "I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her" .

Trump then escalated the dispute on his Truth Social platform, claiming that Meloni was "doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity" and suggested she wanted to "be friends again" to boost her standing following the US military victory over Iran . He also criticized Italy for refusing to allow US access to its landing strips during the Iran conflict, calling it "a great logistical inconvenience".

Meloni responded with an unusually blunt video statement posted on X, dismissing Trump's account as "completely made up".

"Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I'm frankly appalled," Meloni said. "I don't know why the President of the United States behaves this way with his own allies; after all, it's not the first time it's happened".

She added pointedly: "I can only say it's a shame that he doesn't show the same determination with the enemies of the West, with the enemies of the United States, with leaderships toward which he instead proves much more accommodating. However, one thing he must remember: I and Italy never beg." .

The public clash comes after months of growing friction between the two leaders. Meloni, once Trump's strongest European ally, has publicly opposed the US-Israel war on Iran and criticized Trump's attacks on Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff's condemnation of the Iran conflict.

Following Meloni's statement, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced the cancellation of a planned visit to the United States, calling Trump's remarks "serious and offensive" toward all of Italy . Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto also rebuked Trump, stating that Meloni would never beg for a photo, "not even under threat.