▲ U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked a diplomatic stir by claiming that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "begged" to take a photo with him.
According to reports from Reuters and AFP on June 19 (local time), President Trump claimed in an interview with the Italian private broadcaster La7, "Prime Minister Meloni begged me to take a photo with her," adding, "I didn't want to, but I felt sorry for her, so I did it."
Referring to a photo of the two sitting on a sofa and talking, he further remarked, "She was probably happy that I talked to her," and added, "I didn't need to talk to her."
The broadcaster reported that President Trump had approached the reporter first to conduct the interview.
However, the station only released a dubbed version of the interview, not the original audio.
Prime Minister Meloni strongly refuted President Trump's claims, calling them "completely fabricated."
"I do not understand why the U.S. President treats an ally in this way. This is not the first time," she said. "Italy does not beg anyone."
She further criticized him, stating, "It is disappointing that he shows greater tolerance toward the enemies of the West and the United States."
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani protested President Trump's remarks and canceled his scheduled visit to the United States.
On social media, Minister Tajani wrote, "The comments made by President Trump are an insult to all of Italy," adding, "President Trump is destroying a historic relationship."
Prime Minister Meloni had been considered to have a close relationship with President Trump, to the extent that she was the only European leader to attend his inauguration last year.
However, observers have noted that the relationship between the two has cooled since she criticized President Trump's remarks regarding the Pope.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.