US President Donald Trump appeared to ease tensions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, striking a more conciliatory tone as he arrived in Ankara for a key NATO summit.
Ankara, Türkiye – Web Desk: Speaking at a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump described Meloni as “a nice person” despite acknowledging that relations between the two leaders had recently deteriorated.
“I think she’s a nice person, actually,” Trump said. “We had a bad relationship, folks. It became a little bad because she refused to help us.”
The US president said he was disappointed that Italy declined to become involved in issues related to the Strait of Hormuz, reiterating his criticism of Europe’s limited role during the recent US-Israel military campaign involving Iran.
“I like her… but I think she made a mistake. She just wasn’t there for us, and I wasn’t happy about that,” Trump added.
Relations between Trump and Meloni became strained last month after Trump claimed in an interview with an Italian television channel that the Italian prime minister had “begged” him for a photograph during the G7 Summit. Meloni strongly rejected the allegation, calling it fabricated.
The disagreement escalated over the weekend after Trump shared an edited image of Meloni on his Truth Social platform, further fuelling the diplomatic dispute.
Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump has continued pressing European allies to increase defence spending and take a more active role in regional security issues, as alliance members seek to reassure Washington over their military commitments.
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