Trump softens tone toward Meloni ahead of Ankara Nato summit
Donald Trump adopted a more conciliatory tone toward Italy’s Giorgia Meloni at the Ankara Nato summit after weeks of public sparring. He nonetheless repeated his criticism of her stance on the Strait of Hormuz and the US-Israeli war on Iran.
ANKARA: US President Donald Trump struck a more measured tone toward Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday as he arrived in Ankara for a key Nato summit, after weeks of an unusually personal public dispute between the two leaders.
The friction began late last month when Trump told an Italian television channel that Meloni had begged him for a photograph together during the G7 summit and that he agreed only because he felt sorry for her. Meloni rejected the account and described it as made up, after which Trump repeated the claim, deepening the row with one of Europe’s best-known right-wing leaders.
The exchange continued through the weekend. On Sunday, Trump posted an altered image on his Truth Social platform showing Meloni looking at him admiringly, alongside the words: Restrained Order Needed.
Trump’s remarks in Ankara
Speaking at a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, Trump suggested he was seeking to lower tensions, while still criticising Meloni over what he said was her refusal to support the United States over the Strait of Hormuz and the US-Israeli war on Iran.
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