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Trump Deepens Dustup With Meloni 06/22 06:15
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at Italian
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, insisting that she asked "over and over" for a
photo with him at the recent Group of Seven summit and criticizing what he said
was Italy's lack of cooperation during the Iran war.
The remarks deepen the spat that began this week with the Republican
president's interview with an Italian broadcaster, during which Trump claimed
Meloni "begged" for the photo during the G7 meeting in France. Meloni has
called that "completely fabricated." The dustup led Italy's foreign minister to
cancel a planned trip to the United States as Meloni's government lined up in
her defense.
"Italian Prime Minister Gigiorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture
with me during the G-7 meeting in France," Trump wrote on his social media
platform while spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat. He
misspelled her first name in the initial post, which he later corrected.
He continued: "She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity,
possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that
truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or
developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!)."
Meloni soon responded, saying in a statement to Trump that "these constant,
unprovoked attacks are senseless."
"As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor
does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability
to defend Italy's national interest, and that is exactly what I have always
done," Meloni said in a post on Instagram. She added that "in any case, my
popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours."
The rift between the two powerful leaders comes as Trump's relationship with
Europe had long been fraying, mainly over the U.S. administration's trade
policy toward the continent, the president's continued threats to take control
of Greenland -- a self-governing territory of Denmark -- and Trump's decision
to strike Iran.
At the just-concluded G7 summit in vian-les-Bains, France, Trump took a
warmer tone toward other European leaders in the coalition, as they aligned
behind his interim agreement to end the war in Iran. But tensions again were
expected to be on full display as Trump travels to Turkey for the annual NATO
summit next month.
Trump's initial comments were aired Friday on the La7 network. A
correspondent had asked the president about Ukraine, but Trump raised Meloni
and made the claim about the photo. Trump said he was not obliged to take the
picture with her but that he felt sorry for her and agreed, La7 said. The
broadcaster put a dubbed version of the conversation online, but not the
original English audio.
In his post, Trump also complained that Meloni would not allow the U.S. to
use Italy's landing strips or runways during the Iran war even though the U.S.
is a leader in defense spending among NATO allies. That is a long-standing
complaint about the military alliance and one that Trump is raising again
before his White House meeting Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte
and the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Italy, a key logistics hub for the U.S., declined in March to allow American
bombers headed for the Middle East to use a base in Sicily without
parliamentary approval. It was a decision reflecting constitutional constraints
and strong domestic opposition to the war. Meloni has insisted that any use of
Italian bases for offensive operations would require parliamentary backing.
Trump vented his frustration about Meloni and on Saturday claimed that she
"wants to be friends again" in light of the initial deal between the U.S. and
Iran to end the war.
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