Trump-Meloni ice breaks at G7 with joke: “We’ve always been friends”

The two leaders met at the G7 gathering on Lake Geneva, marking their first face-to-face encounter since Trump publicly criticized Meloni earlier this year for declining to commit Italian forces to his military campaign against Iran. According to Il Giornale, the President had delivered harsh statements about both the Prime Minister and Italy after her refusal to join the operation.

Following the summit’s opening dinner, Meloni returned to her room at the lakeside resort and told reporters simply that things with Trump had gone well. While she declined to provide details of their private conversation, the improved atmosphere between the two became unmistakable during the following day’s proceedings.

During a working lunch, Trump approached Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz with a playful complaint. The American President remarked that he had been abandoned, speaking in a clearly ironic and provocative tone. Meloni responded immediately with a broad smile, telling him they had always been friends, and punctuating her comment with a knowing wink.

Italian diplomatic sources confirmed to Il Giornale that Meloni and Trump held a clarifying meeting on the margins of the inaugural dinner. The Italian side characterized it as a useful exchange, with Meloni expressing her commitment to maintaining Western unity during a period of major international crises.

The rapprochement continued throughout the summit. Immediately following the traditional family photo with G7 leaders and partner nations invited by French President Emmanuel Macron, including Brazil, Kenya, South Korea, India, and Egypt, Meloni and Trump were observed walking away together in conversation. The two leaders continued their discussion as they entered the conference room for the second working session of the day, which focused on building new partnerships and rebuilding international solidarity.

The visible warming of relations between Rome and Washington represents a significant diplomatic development, particularly given the severity of the recent tensions. Trump’s earlier criticisms of Meloni had been unusually sharp, marking a departure from what had previously been characterized as an exceptionally strong working relationship between the two conservative leaders.

The reconciliation will come as a disappointment to critics who had seized on the rift as evidence of fundamental problems in the transatlantic relationship. Instead, the G7 summit has demonstrated that disagreements between allied nations can be managed and resolved through direct dialogue at the highest levels.

With information from Il Giornale