Rome:Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her relations with US President Donald Trump remain “cordial”, in a bid to smooth over recent tensions that arose after disputes over Italy’s position on the Iran conflict.The Italian Prime Minister told Italian journalists on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey on Tuesday (local time) that relations between the two leaders are "solid" despite a string of public exchanges in recent weeks. Her comments followed Trump's public description of her as a "nice person" but his criticism of Italy's refusal to back US military operations against Iran.
Trump softens tone but stands by criticismTrump met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara hours before Meloni’s remarks, saying relations with the Italian Prime Minister had recently been strained. "We've had a good week, really, she's a nice person I think. We didn't have a good relationship. She refused to help us again, and it got a little bad," Trump said.
“Actually, I think she’s a nice person,” he added. "But I think she made a mistake," alluding to Italy’s refusal to assist the United States in the dispute with Iran. Trump also said he did not “lean hard” on Meloni to support the US military campaign. But he acknowledged that Italy's decision had "soured" their relationship "a little bit".
What triggered the tensions?The friction between the two leaders flared up after in France’s Evian. Meloni denied the allegation and the episode aggravated diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The diplomatic fallout was serious enough to cause cancellation of a planned visit to the United States by Italy’s foreign minister. The relationship was further strained when Trump criticised a number of NATO allies, including Italy, for failing to back US military operations against Iran, despite Washington’s long-standing security commitments to its allies.
Truth Social post added to the controversyThe dispute drew more attention after Trump posted a photograph with Meloni on his Truth Social platform on Sunday with the caption, “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.” The post sparked speculation of worsening relations between the two leaders, who had been seen to be politically aligned on several international issues.
Italy: bilateral relations transcend political leadersDespite the recent exchanges, Italy remains one of the United States’ key allies within NATO. Meloni has repeatedly stressed that the bond between Rome and Washington is based on strategic interests in the long term, not the personal chemistry of the leaders. These relationships “don’t start or end because of who happens to be in power at a given moment,” Meloni had said, adding “foreign policy is more complex than that.”