Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has taken her dispute with President Donald Trump to a new level by cancelling a major US-Italy business forum in Miami. According to Business Standard, Italy's foreign ministry scrapped the forum late Friday, which was set to include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and was intended to be the venue for Italy's official signing of a critical minerals initiative dubbed the Pax Silica that the US is directing. The cancellation represents a significant escalation in diplomatic tensions, with sources familiar with the matter indicating that 'now it's not clear when a deal might be signed' and Meloni appears 'OK with that'. As reported by Business Standard, even Paolo Zampolli, a close personal friend of Trump's and his envoy for global partnerships, told Repubblica that 'this is the official line and at the moment it indicates a clean break.'
US President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reiterating his claim that she repeatedly asked for a photo together during the G7 conference via a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday. Trump claimed that Meloni was 'doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America' when it came to denying Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He attributed Italy's alleged inaction to the country's 'alleged inaction in stopping Iran from ' according to Business Standard. The controversy has intensified with Trump criticizing the Meloni administration's refusal to allow US access to Italian air strips during its war with Iran, claiming that 'She (Meloni) wouldn't even let us use Italy's landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy.'
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has issued a fierce public rebuke, calling Trump's claims 'completely invented' and expressing shock at the US president's behavior. In a video post on social media platform X on Friday, Meloni stated 'some things deserve an immediate response' and declared 'Donald Trump's declarations are totally invented'. As reported by Business Standard, she added 'Frankly, I am stunned. I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards his allies. It's not the first time it's happened, I can only say it's unfortunate he doesn't show the same determination towards the west's enemies.' Her video message directly counters Trump's photograph request allegation and reinforces her position on Italy's sovereignty. In a significant escalation, Meloni has also 'poked him by telling him to look at his own polling as the November midterms approach, no doubt aware that his popularity has hit new lows' according to Business Standard.
The controversy has intensified with Trump criticizing the Meloni administration's refusal to allow US access to Italian air strips during its war with Iran. According to Business Standard, Trump claimed that 'She (Meloni) wouldn't even let us use Italy's landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience, and this despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ' The backdrop for the schism came on the heels of an otherwise jolly G7 gathering where many leaders set aside their reservations about the peace deal Trump was about to sign with Iran. Trump left the G7, a group he's been critical of in the past, describing it as 'one of the most successful.' The question of whether to appease Trump or play along is one that many US allies have agonized over, with Business Standard noting that 'many leaders are discovering that absorbing Trump's attacks reflects poorly on them with voters.'
The controversy has sparked outrage across Italy's political spectrum, with opposition leaders joining in solidarity with Meloni. Giuseppe Conte, former prime minister and leader of the opposition Five Star Movement, stated that 'Italy doesn't deserve to find itself so blatantly humiliated.' According to Business Standard, Giovanbattista Fazzolari, undersecretary to the prime minister's office, criticized Trump's approach, stating 'It is unclear whether out of intent or ineptitude [Trump] is wrecking the historic relations between the United States and Europe. With his inappropriate outbursts, he has managed no easy feat, to make the US unpopular across the entire European continent, damaging not only Europe but above all the US.' The controversy has also 'tested the theory that challenging Trump can win points with voters' according to Business Standard, as Meloni faces electoral challenges next year and being seen as 'Trump's puppet in Europe isn't a good look,' according to Lorenzo Castellani, a researcher at Luiss University in Rome.
