U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as “a good person” but once again criticized her for refusing to support the United States during the confrontation with Iran.
Meloni was once regarded as one of Trump’s closest European allies. However, their relationship deteriorated last month after Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that the Italian prime minister had “begged” him to take a photo with her during a G7 summit in France.
Meloni firmly denied the claim, saying that neither she nor Italy would ever beg for such a gesture.
Speaking from the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump said his relationship with Meloni “got worse because she refused to help” regarding Iran.
“She refused to get involved, and that hurt our relationship a little. But I like her. I think she’s a good person, actually. But I think she made a mistake,” Trump told reporters in Turkey.
