Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused U.S. President Donald Trump of inventing a story about her after he told an Italian television channel that she had “begged” to take a photo with him at the G7 summit.
Meloni said she was “astonished” by Trump’s remarks and called them “completely made up.” She also accused him of treating enemies of the West with far more respect and consideration than he shows toward long-standing, established allies.
The exchange adds to tensions between the two leaders, though the article does not say when Trump made the comments beyond referring to the G7 summit. Meloni’s response was published after his remarks circulated in Italy.