US President Donald Trump on Tuesday described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a “nice person” but criticised her for refusing to support the United States during its conflict with Iran, marking the latest escalation in a diplomatic rift that has strained relations between the two leaders.“She refused to get involved, so it soured my relationship with her a little bit. But I like her. I think she’s a nice person, actually. But I think she made a mistake,” Trump told reporters in Turkey, where he is attending a Nato summit.The dispute dates back to March, when Italy denied permission for US military aircraft bound for the Middle East to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily, saying Washington had failed to seek prior authorisation from the government in Rome.Meloni, once considered one of Trump’s closest European allies, saw ties deteriorate further last month after Trump told Italian television channel La7 that she had “begged” him for a photograph during a G7 summit in France. The Italian premier rejected the claim, accusing the US president of fabricating the story.She has also publicly criticised Trump this year for attacking Pope Leo after the pontiff condemned the Iran war. In response, Trump rebuked the Italian leader for refusing to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route that was effectively blockaded by Iran following US-Israeli strikes.Trump’s fresh remarks came after he was asked about a Truth Social post he shared over the weekend featuring a photograph of Meloni looking up at him with the caption, “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.” The post reignited tensions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, where the two leaders are expected to meet.The Italian government declined to respond publicly to Trump’s latest remarks, with ministers indicating they did not want to inflame tensions further and risk damaging bilateral relations.“Trump speaks for himself. We have a US president who loves to provoke, especially on social media. We have decided to stop responding to these remarks,” foreign minister Antonio Tajani told La Stampa on Tuesday.Meloni’s office also declined to comment on how she would approach her meeting with Trump in Ankara. However, a source close to the prime minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed suggestions that she might snub the US leader, saying she knew how to handle such situations and would likely greet him “with a smile.”(With Reuters inputs)
