Frosty Trump and chilly Meloni refuse to look at each other in Turkey days after menacing taunt

By ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 15:17, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 15:19, 8 July 2026 President Donald Trump triggered fresh diplomatic drama today after marching straight past Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni without offering a greeting, or even a glance her way. Trump and Meloni gave each other the ultimate brush-off as leaders gathered for the traditional NATO family photo in Ankara, Turkey. Once inseparable political soulmates, a defiant Meloni was caught on camera staring firmly at the ground, masking the awkward moment with a bright, fixed smile. Besides the icy encounter, relations between the two have been notoriously frosty since they spectacularly clashed at the recent G7 Summit in Evian Les Bains, France. The hostilities kicked off when Trump took to an Italian news outlet to mock the Italian Prime Minister, claiming she had 'begged' him for a photo together. Trump boasted: 'she wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn't have taken it, but I felt sorry for ‌her.' He then added an extra twist of the knife, sneering: 'She might be happy that I talked to her, I didn't have to talk to her.' Humiliated on the world stage, a furious Meloni hit back with a blistering video response. Once inseparable political soulmates, a defiant Meloni was caught on camera staring firmly at the ground, masking the awkward moment with a bright, fixed smile President Donald Trump triggered fresh diplomatic drama today after marching straight past Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni without offering a greeting, or a glance her way Trump and Meloni gave each other the ultimate brush-off as leaders gathered for the traditional NATO family photo in Ankara, Turkey Meloni is pictured here at the G7 last year rolling her eyes at the French President  Declaring herself 'astonished' by Trump's 'completely made-up' claims, she fired back with a fierce defense of her nation, barking: 'neither I nor Italy ever beg.' Meloni confessed she was baffled by why Trump would choose to publicly savage a Western ally, especially given their past friendship, before sighing: 'it's not the first time it's happened, after all.' She accused Trump of going soft on America's actual adversaries while knifing long-standing allies in the back. 'I can only say that it's unfortunate that he doesn't have the same determination toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States, toward leaders with whom he appears much more accommodating,' Meloni blasted. Trump refused to let her have the last word. The next day, he went on a Truth Social rampage to double down on his claims. 'Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,' he wrote. 'She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon' The bad blood traces back to a high-stakes military standoff in March, when Italy banned US warplanes from landing at the Sigonella air base in Sicily ahead of operations in the Middle East, according to Politico. President Donald Trump shared a picture of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni smiling up at him with the words 'restraining order needed' branded atop to his Truth Social account Trump and Meloni seemed happy in each other's company when they were pictured talking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, despite his comments that she 'begged' him for a photo Meloni confessed she was baffled by why Trump would choose to publicly savage a Western ally, especially given their past friendship, before sighing: 'it's not the first time it's happened, after all The defiance left him reeling.  Trump launched a blistering assault on Meloni, accusing her of cowardice and abandoning both America and NATO in their hour of need. Taking the feud to the brink, Trump threatened the ultimate nuclear option: pulling US troops out of Italy altogether.  He raged that Rome 'has not been of any help to us' in the conflict with Iran. Meloni refused to take the bait quietly, later turning the tables by blasting the President for lashing out at the Pope over his condemnation of the war. As Trump continued to swipe at her polling numbers and foreign policy stance, the Italian Prime Minister snapped on Instagram, savaging his behavior in a series of direct hits. Meloni fired back that 'these constant, unprovoked attacks are senseless.' She added: 'As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you.' She also fiercely defended her decision to block the US aircraft, insisting that Rome had done nothing wrong and was sticking to the rulebook. Meloni is pictured here at the G7 last year in secret conversations with the French President President Trump welcomed Pime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy to the White House in April '25 President Trump, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron pictured here on their way to working session at Hotel Royal during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France European Council President Antonio Costa, US President Donald Trump, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi prepare for a group picture at Hotel Royal during the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France Trump greets Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025. Now, less than a year later, that friendship lies in tatters 'As for the use of military bases in Italy, there are agreements that we have always respected,' she wrote. In a sharp final jab, Meloni told Trump that her approval ratings were absolutely none of his business. It is a stunning collapse for a duo who have always had a warm working relationship. Meloni was previously seen as the ultimate bridge between the White House and Europe's conservative right.  Proving her fierce loyalty, she was famously the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in 2025. Now, less than a year later, that friendship lies in tatters.