Italian PM slams Trump's 'fake' claims she begged him for photo at G7 summit

Italian PM slams Trump's 'fake' claims she begged him for photo at G7 summit Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused her close ally, US President Donald Trump, of fabricating a story about her Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has slammed US President Donald Trump for claiming she "begged" him to take a photo with her at the recent G7 summit. Meloni said she was "astonished" by his comments, which were "completely made up", declaring: "Neither I nor Italy ever beg." Speaking to Italian TV channel La7 on Friday, Trump said: "She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for her." He added: "She's probably happy I talked to her. I didn't have to talk to her." The comments came after he himself asked the journalist about Italy's prime minister. The broadcaster put a dubbed version of the conversation online, not the original English audio. Footage from the summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, showed Meloni and Trump deep in conversation, sitting next to each other on a small sofa. Meloni promptly hit out at the president's comments in a video posted on social media. "Donald Trump's statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don't know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover," she said. "I can only say it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination with the enemies of the West and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence," she said, adding: "There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg." Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump’s claims "serious and offensive" toward Meloni and all of Italy. The Foreign Ministry later announced that the business and scientific forum Tajani was to attend in Miami had also been called off. Trump's alliance with Meloni - long seen as one of his closest friends in Europe - has frayed over his war in Iran, his tariffs against Europe and his complaints. He turned on Meloni in April after she refused to support his war in Iran and stood up for Pope Leo XIV when Trump lashed out at the pontiff. Lorenzo Castellani, a political scientist at Rome’s Luiss Guido Carli University, told The Associated Press: "In some ways this was a favour to Giorgia Meloni, in the sense that she was accused until a few months ago of being a sort of Trump’s vassal in Europe." This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link. You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage.