WorldBrief සිංහල
Europe

Italy’s Meloni ‘shocked’ by Trump’s ‘unfounded’ claim she ‘begged’ for G7 photo

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has publicly refuted Donald Trump’s assertion that she ‘begged’ him for a photo at the G7 summit, calling his comments shocking and unfounded.

By World Brief · 2026-06-19
Italy’s Meloni ‘shocked’ by Trump’s ‘unfounded’ claim she ‘begged’ for G7 photo

Image is an AI-generated illustration, not a real photograph.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed strong astonishment and firmly denied former U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that she "begged" him for a photo opportunity at the recent G7 summit in France. Trump, in an interview with an Italian broadcaster, claimed Meloni "wanted a picture with me so badly" and that he only agreed out of pity.

In a video response, Prime Minister Meloni labeled Trump's statements as "completely fabricated" and asserted that "Italy and I do not beg." She also criticized his behavior towards allies, noting a perceived difference in his approach compared to how he treats "enemies of the West."

Following the contentious remarks, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned official trip to the United States this weekend. Tajani cited Trump's comments as "serious and offensive" towards both Prime Minister Meloni and Italy as a whole.

What each outlet emphasizes

Read it at the source

washingtonpost.com ↗ scmp.com ↗ financialpost.com ↗ ctvnews.ca ↗ news4jax.com ↗

↗ Open the live World Brief site