Belgian defence chief urges Trump to end public dispute with Italy’s Meloni

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has urged US President Donald Trump to avoid escalating his public dispute with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, while stressing that Europe will continue to rely on the United States for its defence for years to come.

Speaking to POLITICO, Francken said Europe still needs US military support to defend the continent for up to another decade, making it important for European leaders not to alienate Washington.

At the same time, he suggested there were limits to what European allies should tolerate, particularly regarding Trump's recent remarks about Meloni.

“Of course we need him as an ally, but don't touch Meloni. She's the queen of centre-right in Europe. She's the alpha. Leave her alone,” Francken said.

His comments came after Trump reignited a public feud with the Italian prime minister by posting a photo of Meloni on social media and joking that he would need a restraining order to keep her away from him.

The exchange followed an awkward meeting between the two leaders during the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, in June. After the meeting, Trump claimed that Meloni had “begged” him to take a photograph with her—an allegation the Italian leader firmly denied.

Francken expressed surprise that the disagreement had escalated over what he described as a trivial issue.

“I love her, she's conservative, she is totally on the same line ... and then you're going to have a fight on what? On a picture!” he said.

By Vafa Guliyeva