ROME — Italy canceled a planned visit by its foreign minister to the United States over reported remarks by President Donald Trump about Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, officials said on Friday.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani scrapped his trip scheduled for June 21 and 22 after Trump, in an interview with Italian broadcaster La7, claimed Meloni had “wanted a picture with me so badly” at the recent G7 summit in France and that he agreed only because he “felt sorry for her,” according to a transcript provided by the network.
Tajani called the comments “grave and offensive” and said they “offend the whole of Italy,” in a post on X. Meloni responded that the claims were “totally fabricated” and “completely made up.” “Neither I nor Italy beg,” she said in a statement.
The cancellation came a day after the G7 leaders’ meeting in Evian-les-Bains, where Trump and Meloni had appeared to ease earlier tensions with public exchanges emphasizing their friendship. Details of any further diplomatic fallout remained unclear on Saturday.
Trump made the remarks during a conversation that began on Ukraine but shifted to the G7 photo opportunity. La7 aired a dubbed version of the interview, as the original English audio was not immediately available.
Meloni’s office described her as “stunned” by the comments. Italian officials, including the defense minister, expressed support for her position. No immediate response from the U.S. State Department or White House was reported on the cancellation.
The incident follows previous strains in relations between the two leaders, including over Italy’s position on the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran earlier in 2026. Both sides have described their overall alliance as strong despite periodic disagreements.
As of Saturday, Tajani’s office had not announced a rescheduled date for the visit, which was expected to cover bilateral issues. Italian media reported heightened sensitivity in Rome over perceived slights to national dignity.
U.S.-Italy ties have historically been close, with cooperation on NATO, trade and security matters. Officials on both sides have previously downplayed personal frictions between the leaders. No further statements on the status of relations were issued immediately after the cancellation.
