Rome ¨C Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused her one-time close ally Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her on Friday, after the U.S. president told an Italian TV channel that she had ¡°begged¡± him to take a photo with her at a Group of Seven (G7) summit.
Meloni said she was ¡°astonished¡± by his comments, which were ¡°completely made up.¡± She also chided him for acting with far greater deference to the enemies ?of the West than he does toward old, established allies.
Their pointed exchange marks a significant deterioration in ties, coming just days after signs ?emerged at ?the G7 summit that the two right-wing leaders had steadied a relationship strained by tensions over the conflict in ?the Middle East.
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