Italy’s FM scraps US trip over Trump’s comments about Meloni

Italy’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani has cancelled a planned visit to the United States following remarks by US President Donald Trump about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Tajani announced the move on his X social media account.

“Harsh and insulting statements by President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend all of Italy. For this reason, I have decided to cancel the visit to the United States scheduled for 21–22 June,” he wrote.

US President Donald Trump has sparked a diplomatic row with Italy after comments made during a televised interview with La7 TV channel following the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains.

He said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had “begged” him for a photograph and suggested she was pleased he spoke to her. Video from the summit showed the two leaders seated together during G7 discussions.

Meloni rejected the claim, calling it completely made up and expressing astonishment, saying neither she nor Italy ever beg.

By Aghakazim Guliyev