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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday (local time) said she has "cordial relations" with US President Donald Trump, following weeks of tensions between the two leaders, CNN reported.
Speaking to Italian reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, Meloni made the remarks after a recent public spat with Trump, according to CNN.
The tensions followed Trump's claim that Meloni had "begged" him for a photograph during the G7 summit in Evian, France. Meloni rejected the allegation, and the episode prompted Italy's foreign minister to cancel a planned visit to the United States, CNN reported.
Meloni's comments came hours after Trump described her as a "nice person" during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, while acknowledging that their relationship had recently deteriorated over Italy's refusal to support US military efforts against Iran.
"I think she's a nice person; actually, we've had a good week. We had a bad relationship. It became a little bad because she refused to help us again," Trump said, according to CNN.
"I think she's a nice person, actually. But I think she made a mistake," he added, referring to Italy's decision not to assist the United States in the conflict with Iran.
Trump said he did not put "heavy press" on Meloni to provide assistance, but admitted that Italy's refusal "soured" their relationship "a little bit." -- ANI
