Italy's defence minister stressed the importance of good transatlantic relations on Monday after U.S. President Donald ​Trump again goaded erstwhile ally Giorgia Meloni, the ‌Italian prime minister.

Meloni last month accused Trump of fabricating a story about her after the U.S. president told an Italian TV channel that ​she had "begged" him to take a photo with ​her at a G7 summit in France.

With the ⁠two leaders due to attend a NATO summit in Turkey ​this week, Trump appeared to reignite the dispute when he ​posted on Truth Social a picture of Meloni looking up at him with the caption "RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED".

The Italian prime minister has yet ​to respond.

"I did not have any reaction (to the post), ​the fundamental thing is to maintain relations with a key ally ‌like ⁠the USA," Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told Italy's Sky TV.
"People come and go but relationships remain," he added.

Opposition politicians were less restrained.

"Trump is a despicable, cheap bully," Carlo Calenda, ​the leader ​of the ⁠small Azione party, wrote on X, expressing his support for Meloni.

Meloni was once a vocal ​supporter of Trump and was the only ​European ⁠leader to attend his inauguration in 2025.

However, she criticised him this year for lashing out at Pope Leo over his ⁠condemnation ​of the Iran conflict. That in ​turn prompted a blunt rebuke from the U.S. president, who accused her ​of lacking courage.

-Reuters