Key facts
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated Donald Trump "totally invented" a story about her begging for a photo at the G7 summit.
- Meloni criticized Trump's behavior towards allies and suggested he panders to enemies of the West.
- Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned trip to the U.S. following Trump's remarks.
- Trump reportedly told an Italian journalist that Meloni "begged" him for a picture and he agreed out of pity.
- Meloni stated, "neither I nor Italy ever beg."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly refuted claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump that she "begged" him for a photograph during the recent G7 summit in France. Meloni, in a social media video, expressed her "shock" at what she described as Trump's "totally invented" claims, questioning why the U.S. president would behave in such a manner towards allies.