Italy says it will always defend national interest after Trump criticism of Meloni

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Tuesday that the government will “always defend only and solely Italy’s national interest” after criticism from US President Donald Trump of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Tajani said on US social media company X that Italy "is and remains a staunch supporter of Western unity and a steadfast ally of the United States," adding that such unity is based on "mutual loyalty, respect, and frankness."

"We are accustomed to saying what we think because that is what serious people do. Until today, President Trump considered Giorgia Meloni a courageous person," Tajani said, stressing that Meloni "never shies away from saying what she thinks."

"And on Pope Leo XIV she said exactly what all of us Italian citizens think. The Prime Minister with the Government defends and will always defend only and solely the interests of Italy," he added.

The remarks came after Trump said he was "shocked" by Meloni’s positions, claiming she was "not helping" the US on NATO-related issues and discussions surrounding Iran.

"She doesn't want to help us with NATO, she doesn't want to help us get rid of nuclear weapons. It's very different from what I thought... It is no longer the same person, and Italy will not be the same country," he told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Tuesday.

The controversy also followed tensions between the US president and the Vatican after Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV over his comments on the Iran conflict.

Meloni later reiterated her support for the pontiff, calling attacks against him "unacceptable."