Trump-Meloni Rift Eases? Italian PM Says Ties 'Cordial' After US President Calls Her 'Nice'
Trump-Meloni Rift Eases? Italian PM Says Ties 'Cordial' After US President Calls Her 'Nice' Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 11:22 IST Georgia Meloni
Trump-Meloni Rift Eases? Italian PM Says Ties 'Cordial' After US President Calls Her 'Nice' Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 11:22 IST Georgia Meloni stressed that ties between the two leaders remain "cordial" despite a series of public exchanges in recent weeks. Rapid Read US President Donald Trump and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (AFP file photo) Trump-Meloni Feud: After weeks of public sparring, US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone, with Meloni saying their relationship remains “cordial" after Trump described her as a “nice person" despite their recent differences over Iran. Speaking to Italian reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey on Tuesday (local time), Meloni sought to downplay tensions, saying ties with the US President remain stable. She stressed that ties between the two leaders remain “cordial" despite a series of public exchanges in recent weeks.
Her remarks came after the US President acknowledged that their relationship had become “a little bad" because Italy refused to support US military operations against Iran, but added that he still liked Meloni and believed she was “a nice person." “Oh, I don’t know. I think she’s a nice person. We’ve had a good relationship, but it became a little bad because she refused to help us. I didn’t put a heavy press on her, but she refused to get involved with Iran. You can imagine I wasn’t happy with that," Trump said during a press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. While maintaining that Italy had made a “mistake" by staying out of the Iran conflict, Trump said he had not put “heavy press" on Meloni to back the US campaign. These remarks came after Trump took a swipe at Meloni by sharing an image on his Truth Social account carrying the caption “Restraining Order Needed." The image features Trump standing in front of Meloni, who is looking up at him smiling, with the caption suggesting she was overly interested in him.
Meloni, once regarded as one of Trump’s closest political partners in Europe, reportedly saw relations deteriorate after refusing to join the US campaign against Iran and criticising some of Trump’s recent remarks. The dispute began after Trump publicly claimed to an Italian journalist that Meloni had “begged" him to take a photo with her at the G7 Summit in France. Meloni said she was “appalled" by the remarks and criticised him for targeting his own allies. Trump’s comments sparked political debate in Italy and drew criticism from members of Meloni’s government. After Meloni’s pushback, Trump doubled down on his claims, saying Meloni was trying to boost her failing popularity by rebuilding ties with the US. Despite the recent tensions, both leaders’ latest comments suggest an effort to lower the temperature ahead of key discussions with NATO allies. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news.
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