News24 | ‘Restraining order needed’: Trump goads Italy’s Giorgia Meloni ahead of NATO summit

Italy’s defence minister stressed the importance of good transatlantic relations on Monday after US President Donald Trump again goaded erstwhile ally Giorgia Meloni, the ‌Italian prime minister.

Meloni in June accused Trump of fabricating a story about her after the US president told an Italian TV channel that she had “begged” him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit in France.

With the ⁠two leaders due to attend a NATO summit in Turkey this week, Trump appeared to reignite the dispute when he posted on Truth Social a picture of Meloni looking up at him with the caption “RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED”.

“I did not have any reaction (to the post), the fundamental thing is to maintain relations with a key ally ‌like ⁠the USA,” Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told Italy’s Sky TV.

READ | Italy's Meloni issues rare criticism of Trump after his attack on pope

“Trump is a despicable, cheap bully,” Carlo Calenda, the leader of the ⁠small Azione party, wrote on X, expressing his support for Meloni.

Meloni was once a vocal supporter of Trump and was the only European ⁠leader to attend his inauguration in 2025.

#Trump e’ un ignobile bullo da quattro soldi. Piena solidarietà alla Presidente del Consiglio. https://t.co/XHgHyKPsfd

However, she criticised him this year for lashing out at Pope Leo over his ⁠condemnation of the Iran conflict.

That in turn prompted a blunt rebuke from the US president, who accused her of lacking courage.

AFP reported that Trump will join fellow NATO leaders for a summit in Ankara next week after lashing out over their response to his war with Iran.

Allies hope to avoid a blow-up in Turkey by showcasing new spending and deals, and lavishing hospitality.

A year after Trump pressured them into agreeing to ramp up defence-related spending to 5% of GDP, NATO allies will look to convince him they’re making progress.

TRUMP: Posts image reading "RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED" over Trump and Giorgia Meloni photo pic.twitter.com/D61h4J5yWt

Although they’ve got until 2035 to hit the target, the US president will want proof Europe is addressing his long-standing grievance.

“It’s meant to be a demonstration to Trump of what a success he has had, and where everyone thanks him for pushing them,” a NATO diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

NATO chief Mark Rutte – one of the few European leaders still in Trump’s good books – previewed the pitch at the White House last week.

Holding up a chart emblazoned with “THE TRUMP TRILLION” in gold lettering, he laid out additional European spending since Trump first took office in 2017.

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