Italy has signalled it will no longer respond to provocative remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking to prevent personal disputes from overshadowing transatlantic relations ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.
The decision comes after Trump reignited a public spat with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by posting on Truth Social a picture of her looking up at him with the caption: “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.”
The post followed a dispute that began last month when Meloni accused Trump of fabricating a story after he told an Italian television channel that she had “begged” him to take a photograph with him during the G7 summit in France.
Speaking to La Stampa on Tuesday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome had decided to stop reacting to Trump’s comments.
“Trump speaks for himself. We have a U.S. President who loves to provoke, especially on social media. We have decided to stop responding to these remarks so as not to fuel disputes among our allies,” Tajani said.
He stressed that the United States remains a strategic partner for both Italy and Europe, adding that the relationship between the two countries would endure despite political disagreements.
A day earlier, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also downplayed the latest exchange, saying the priority was maintaining strong ties with Washington.
“The fundamental thing is to maintain relations with a key ally like the USA,” Crosetto told Sky TV, adding that “people come and go but relationships remain.”
Opposition politicians reacted more forcefully. Carlo Calenda, leader of the small Azione party, described Trump as “a despicable, cheap bully” in a post on X, expressing support for Meloni.
Relations between the two leaders have become increasingly strained despite Meloni previously being considered one of Trump’s closest European allies. She was the only European leader to attend his inauguration in 2025, but later criticised him for attacking Pope Leo over the pontiff’s condemnation of the Iran conflict. Trump responded by accusing the Italian prime minister of lacking courage.
The latest exchange comes as Trump and Meloni are both due to attend the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Italian daily Il Foglio also mocked Trump’s social media post, publishing a front-page image of the U.S. president alongside Russia’s Vladimir Putin under the same caption: “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.”
