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Meloni cancels Washington visit amid escalating feud with Trump

Meloni cancels Washington visit amid escalating feud with Trump
21 articles·15 sources·updated about 2 months ago·View in graph

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2 months · 2 summary articles

  1. Meloni cancels Washington visit amid escalating feud with Trump

  2. Meloni rejects Trump's claims, cancels Washington trip amid escalating feud

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politicsfrancemiddle eastunited states of americaitaly
AI-generated · Hosted in Europe

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday cancelled a planned high-level visit to Washington, escalating a bitter diplomatic feud with US President Donald Trump after he accused her of begging for a photo at the G7 summit in Evian. The abrupt cancellation of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s trip to the United States follows Trump’s repeated claims that Meloni sought repeated photographs with him to bolster her domestic standing, a charge Rome has forcefully denied as “completely made up.”

Meloni took to Instagram on Saturday to dismiss Trump’s allegations as “constant, unprovoked attacks,” defending Italy’s sovereignty and rejecting his remarks about her domestic popularity. “My popularity is none of your business,” she wrote, underscoring the depth of the rift. The spat intensified on Saturday when Trump alleged that Rome had refused the United States access to Italian airbases during the recent war with Iran, a claim Meloni’s government has not addressed publicly but which further strained bilateral relations.

The dispute traces back to June 19, when Meloni first rejected Trump’s claim that she had begged for a photo with him at the G7 summit in Evian, calling the accusation “completely made up.” By June 20, Tajani had cancelled his planned trip to Washington, and by June 21 Meloni escalated the crisis by cancelling the visit outright. The cancellation comes as Meloni gears up for a re-election battle, complicating her efforts to maintain strong ties with Washington amid domestic political pressures.

Trump’s latest salvos have not been limited to Italy. On Saturday, he intensified criticism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “a killer” despite Modi’s attendance at the G7 summit. The president also faced domestic scrutiny over the Reflecting Pool in Washington, which has turned green and begun peeling after a $14 million renovation. Trump blamed “vandalism” for the problems and threatened to arrest anyone responsible, while local reports suggested a man had been detained after entering the pool.

The diplomatic rupture between Rome and Washington reflects broader tensions at the G7 summit, where Trump’s confrontational style has alienated allies. Meloni’s defiance signals a new phase in Italy’s foreign policy, prioritizing sovereignty and public rebuke over deference to the US president. The cancellation of Tajani’s visit underscores the severity of the dispute and the challenges ahead for both leaders as they navigate a fraught international landscape.

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15 sources9 countries
Geographic Origin13 located
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2 further sources not geolocated

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