President Donald Trump recently criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for not supporting the US in the Iran war. Trump claimed that Meloni had asked for a picture with him multiple times at the G7 Summit in France, which Meloni denied.
US-Italy Relations
Trump also expressed frustration with Meloni for not allowing US forces to use Italy’s landing strips and runways during the war with Iran. Italy had denied the use of an air base in Sicily to US warplanes carrying weapons for the campaign against Iran.
Trump stated that Meloni’s decision was a ‘great logistical inconvenience’ and that Italy’s refusal to help was despite the US contributing hundreds of billions of dollars to protect Italy and other NATO allies. Meloni responded to Trump’s criticism, saying that she was ‘astonished’ by his behavior and that Italy remains a sovereign nation.
Trump and Meloni had previously been allies, with Meloni being the only European Union leader invited to Trump’s inauguration in 2025. However, their relationship has deteriorated over time, particularly after Trump imposed tariffs on EU imports.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
