Washington\/Rome (HRNW)-\u00a0The diplomatic dispute between US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has intensified. The two leaders have made harsh statements against each other, after which a new wave of tension has arisen in US-Italian relations.<\/p>\n
According to international media reports, the dispute began when President Trump claimed in an interview that Giorgia Meloni had repeatedly requested to be photographed with him during the recent G7 summit and that he had only allowed it out of sympathy.<\/p>\n
The Italian Prime Minister reacted strongly to Trump\u2019s statement, calling it fabricated and baseless. Meloni said that such things are contrary to reality and have nothing to do with reality.<\/p>\n
Later, President Trump issued another statement on his social media platform Truth Social, claiming that Meloni had repeatedly requested to be photographed. He also alleged that Italy did not support the US action against Iran and is now trying to improve relations with the US.<\/p>\n
Trump added that Meloni wanted to rekindle her friendship after the US victory against Iran in order to boost her political popularity at home. He also claimed that Italy did not allow the US military to use certain military facilities during the Iran conflict.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Giorgia Meloni, in a strong statement on Instagram, said that Trump’s constant and unprovoked criticism was pointless and unnecessary. She said that her popularity does not depend on her relationship with the US president.<\/p>\n
Meloni sarcastically said that “my popularity is not your problem, you would be better off focusing on yours.”<\/p>\n
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also called Trump’s statements insulting to Italy and canceled his planned visit to the US. He said that Trump’s words were an insult not only to the prime minister but to all of Italy.<\/p>\n
According to political analysts, the dispute is unusual because Giorgia Meloni was previously considered one of the European leaders who were considered relatively close to Trump. However, recent differences have created a clear rift in the relationship between the two leaders.<\/p>\n
Experts say policy differences on key global issues such as Iran, the Ukraine war and NATO could be major causes of the growing tension between the US and Italy.<\/p>\n
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