Italy’s foreign ministry announced its decision to cease responses to Donald Trump’s provocative remarks just as NATO leaders prepare for an official meeting in Turkey, where Trump is also expected to attend, according to reports.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani shared this stance in an interview with “La Stampa,” stating, “Trump speaks for himself.” He added, “We have a U.S. president who enjoys provoking, especially on social media. We’ve decided not to respond to these comments to avoid fueling disputes among our allies.”
Despite this, Tajani reaffirmed, “We are and will remain friends of the United States, our strategic partner and that of Europe.”
The Italian diplomatic reaction follows Trump’s recent ironic comment about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, suggesting she “needs a restraining order” in a post shared on his Truth Social account, accompanied by a photo of them together.
The tensions between Trump and Meloni have arisen amid criticisms related to the management of crises in the Middle East and Iran, Trump’s remarks about Pope Leo, and Italy’s distancing from certain U.S. requests within NATO.
Last month, Meloni, who was once a supporter of Trump, accused the U.S. leader of fabricating a story after he claimed in an interview that she “begged him to take a photo together” at the G7 summit, asserting that he agreed only “out of pity.”
