Trump posted a doctored image of Meloni on his Truth Social platform on Sunday alongside the caption, “Restraining Order Needed,” days before this week’s NATO summit.
Responding, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said, “People come and go but relations must endure,” while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added that he was “sure that transatlantic relations go well beyond individual comments.”
Meloni did not respond directly to the latest post. However, the exchange follows a series of public criticisms from Trump, who last month claimed the Italian leader had “begged” him for a photograph after the G7 summit and accused her of seeking to repair ties with Washington for domestic political gain after Italy declined to back US action against Iran.
Meloni had rejected those claims, describing Trump’s repeated attacks as “senseless” and saying, “Being your friend certainly has not helped” her popularity, before urging him to focus on his own standing.
The latest exchange comes ahead of this week’s NATO summit, where Trump has renewed criticism of European allies over defence spending.
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