Photo courtesy of Anadolu
US President Donald Trump has intensified his public feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after posting an edited image on Truth Social suggesting she was overly interested in him.
Trump captioned the post with a remark implying that a restraining order was needed.
The post came ahead of the NATO summit in Türkiye, where Trump and Meloni are expected to join other alliance leaders.
The exchange followed Trump’s claim last week that Meloni repeatedly asked him for a photo during the recent G7 Summit.
Meloni denied the claim and described it as fabricated, saying Italy did not beg.
In an interview with Italy’s Rete 4 television, Meloni said she remained committed to a strong and united West, but stressed that solid relationships also required frankness.
The dispute also prompted Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to cancel a planned trip to Washington.
Reports said tensions between Trump and Meloni had grown in recent weeks, including over Italy’s reluctance to back US efforts against Iran.