Meloni fires back at Trump over false 'photo' claims at G7

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused her one-time close ally Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her, after the US President told an Italian TV channel that she had "begged" him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit.

Meloni said she was "astonished" by his comments, which she says were "completely made up".

She accused Mr Trump of acting with far greater deference to the enemies of the West than he does towards old, established allies and posted a video on her social media platform 'X'.

According to La7's translation, 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."

As reported, Meloni said his comments mark a sharp deterioration in ties, coming just days after signs at the G7 summit that the two right-wing leaders had steadied a previously strained relationship following tensions this year over the war in Iran.

Italy's PM Meloni responded: "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."

Video from the event in France showed Georgia Meloni and Trump deep in conversation, but the US leader suggested he had merely indulged her by chatting with her.

She's probably happy I talked to her. I didn't have to talk to her," Trump was quoted as saying by La7 TV channel in a brief interview, after he himself asked the journalist about Italy's prime minister.

 Meloni 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."

Importantly, the channel did not release the original audio but just a dubbed version for clarity.