US President said he was “shocked” by the Italian Prime Minister’s “lack of action”
The President of the United States, (Republican Party)publicly criticized the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Melonifor his refusal to support Italian participation in the war against Iran. The statements were made in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Serapublished on Tuesday (April 14, 2026).
“I thought she had courage, but I was wrong.”declared Trump. He also stated that Meloni “doesn’t help” the military alliance and indicated that the relationship between the two leaders has deteriorated in recent weeks.
The speech was 1 day after Meloni classified as unacceptable, which has made calls for an end to the conflict in the Middle East. The North American president’s statement represents a public break with one of his government’s main European allies.
Trump claimed to be “shocked” with the prime minister’s stance and said that she does not demonstrate firmness in the face of the Iranian nuclear threat. The president also criticized the position of Italy and European countries regarding the role of I’ll take it.
The Italian government’s reaction came through the chancellor Antonio Tajaniwho defended the country’s position and highlighted the importance of Western unity based on mutual respect. The leader of the opposition, Elly Schleinclassified Trump’s statements as a “serious lack of respect”.
On the same day, the Italian government announced the suspension of a defense agreement with Israel. The decision was taken amid rising regional tensions and after incidents involving Israeli forces and Italian troops in Lebanon.
