In an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper, the American president stated that the Italian prime minister did not want her country to be involved in the war in the Middle East. The conflict began with Israeli-American attacks on Iran.
President Donald Trump sharply criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, April 14 for refusing to engage her country in the war in Iran. Trump expressed being “shocked” and disappointed by her lack of “courage.”
“Do the Italians appreciate the fact that your prime minister is not helping us get that oil? Do they like it? I can’t imagine. I am shocked. I thought she was brave, but I was wrong,” said Donald Trump in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Giorgia Meloni, elected in October 2022 to lead an ultra-conservative coalition government, is one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe, often striving to mediate between the diverging positions of the United States and Europe.
“She does not help us with NATO”
The American president mentioned that she did not want Italy to be involved in the Middle East war, which started with Israeli-American attacks on Iran, even though the country imports a large portion of its oil from that region.
The interview in Corriere della Sera was published less than 24 hours after Giorgia Meloni called the criticisms of the American president towards Pope Leo XIV “unacceptable,” following the pontiff’s calls to end the war in the Middle East.
Donald Trump added that they had not spoken this month, “not for a long time,” specifying: “She does not help us with NATO.”
“She does not want to help prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It’s very sad… She is very different from what I thought,” continued Donald Trump.
He referred to the NATO military alliance as a “paper tiger” and criticized Europe in general for not being “willing to fight for the Strait of Hormuz, from where it gets its energy.”
“Italy is no longer the same country”
“She is not the same person. Italy is no longer the same country. Immigration is killing Italy and all of Europe,” he added.
The Italian prime minister received unanimous support from both her allies and the opposition.
“We are and remain staunch supporters of Western unity and strong allies of the United States, but this unity is built on mutual loyalty, respect, and frankness,” wrote Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
“Until today, President Trump considered Giorgia Meloni a courageous person. He was not mistaken because she is a woman who never gives up on saying what she thinks. And about Pope Leo XIV, she said exactly what we, Italian citizens, all think,” added Mr. Tajani.
Elly Schlein, the leader of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), the main opposition party, also defended Ms. Meloni, stating that “no foreign leader can afford to insult and threaten our country and government.”
