US President Donald Trump said his relationship with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni deteriorated after she refused to support Washington's position on Iran, though he maintained that he still likes her personally.
"I think she's a nice person, actually," Trump told reporters when asked about his recent social media post on Meloni. "We had a good relationship. It became a little bad because she refused to help us."
Trump said he did not pressure Meloni but was disappointed by Italy's refusal to support the US over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran.
"She refused to get involved with the Hormuz Strait, or you could also say just Iran. So it soured my relationship with her a little bit," he said.
ALSO READ: 'People Come And Go': Italy Shrugs Off Trump's Latest Attack On Meloni Ahead Of NATO Summit
Calling Meloni's decision "a mistake", Trump argued that while the US was not dependent on the Strait of Hormuz because of its own energy resources, Washington viewed the issue as strategically important.
"She just wasn't there for us, and I wasn't happy about that," Trump said.
The comments mark the latest deterioration in what was once viewed as one of Trump's closest relationships with a European leader.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Meloni was the only leader at a closed-door meeting of nearly 30 European leaders in January to argue that Trump could still be persuaded through dialogue, even as others expressed frustration with his approach toward Europe.
However, by a subsequent summit in March, Meloni had reportedly changed her assessment, telling fellow leaders that Trump "is not reasonable."
The relationship deteriorated further after Italy declined to allow the US to use Italian airspace and military bases for strikes on Iran. Trump later criticised Meloni over the decision, saying he had thought she was "brave" but was wrong.
The two leaders also clashed after Trump and his MAGA allies criticised Pope Leo XIV, with Meloni defending the pontiff and calling Trump's remarks "unacceptable." Trump responded by saying Meloni was "no longer the same person" he had first met.
ALSO READ: 'Italy And I Never Beg': Giorgia Meloni Hits Out At Trump's G7 Photo Claim | Watch
Tensions escalated again after Trump claimed Meloni had "begged" for a photograph with him during last month's G7 summit. Meloni rejected the allegation as "completely fabricated", and her government cancelled planned visits to the United States. In one of her sharpest rebukes, Meloni questioned why Trump was tougher on US allies than on America's adversaries.
"I don't know why the US president behaves this way towards his own allies," she said, adding: "Italy and I do not beg."
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
