Bombarded by Trump, Italian PM Plays It Cool: The West Must Not Be Divided
US President Trump once again criticized Italian Prime Minister Meloni for her passive attitude towards the war with Iran. Meloni played it cool and reiterated that "the West must not be divided" during a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
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- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 08:32
- 🔍 Collected: April 16, 2026 at 09:01 (29 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 05:04 (68h 2m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA, Reporter Huang Ya-shih, Rome, 15th) US President Donald Trump today once again criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her passive attitude towards the war with Iran, stating that their "relationship has changed." Meloni played it cool and did not respond directly, but during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome, she reiterated that "the West must not be divided."
Donald Trump has frequently praised Giorgia Meloni in the past; however, the two have recently fallen out over Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV and issues concerning the US-Iran war. In an exclusive interview with the Italian media Corriere della Sera yesterday, Trump criticized Meloni for lacking courage and not helping the US fight Iran, and today Trump launched another attack on Meloni during an interview.
Responding to a question from a Fox reporter, Trump stated that his relationship with Meloni and Italy is no longer the same. "For any country that refuses to help deal with the situation in Iran, our relationship with that country has changed." As is well known, Italy also needs to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to acquire a large amount of oil.
Meloni did not directly respond to Trump's successive bombardments today. However, when she met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Prime Minister's Office in the evening, in addition to reiterating that Italy always stands with Ukraine, she also emphasized the importance of "Euro-Atlantic alliance unity," "because a divided West and a fragmented Europe will be the only real gift we can give to Moscow."
Many in Italian public opinion believe that Meloni is using this to indirectly call out to Trump. The ANSA news agency reported that in the past, whenever other European countries expressed concerns about the US stance, Meloni often called for the "Euro-Atlantic alliance to be united." Now, this phrase has a new interpretation.
Furthermore, Meloni stated in her speech that turmoil is becoming the new normal, and the situation is confusing and fearful. However, it is exactly at such times that the friendship between brotherly nations appears even more important, and they should support each other during the toughest times in history. Italian media interpreted that what Meloni referred to applies not only to the relationship between Italy and Ukraine but also to US allies.
Meloni used to frequently highlight that Italy could play a bridging role between the US and Europe. ANSA quoted sources familiar with the matter indicating that as Meloni's relationship with Trump changes, she has reminded her staff and cabinet ministers to stop talking loudly about this rhetoric.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, belonging to the far-right League party, also doubted Trump's ability to resolve the war. He sarcastically said, "According to Trump, the war should have ended several times by now, but it's still being fought."
The leaders of Italy and Ukraine also discussed strengthening defense cooperation during their meeting today. Zelenskyy stated that Italy is very interested in joint production, especially in the field of drones. To counter the Iranian Shahed drones used by Russia, Ukraine absolutely needs more air defense systems and looks forward to co-producing them with Italy.
Meloni stated that Italy had previously provided industrial boilers and generators to Ukraine to cope with power outages caused by Russian attacks. Now, Italy is focusing on providing medical equipment, particularly equipment for obstetrics and gynecology.
Meloni reiterated her hope that Ukraine will join the European Union and advance alongside other European countries moving in this direction. Italy will insist that the EU continues to exert economic pressure on Russia and ensure that the EU's financial aid funds for Ukraine are in place, as a financial crisis in Ukraine would also cause immeasurable losses to Europe.
(CNA, Reporter Huang Ya-shih, Rome, 15th) US President Donald Trump today once again criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her passive attitude towards the war with Iran, stating that their "relationship has changed." Meloni played it cool and did not respond directly, but during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome, she reiterated that "the West must not be divided."
Donald Trump has frequently praised Giorgia Meloni in the past; however, the two have recently fallen out over Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV and issues concerning the US-Iran war. In an exclusive interview with the Italian media Corriere della Sera yesterday, Trump criticized Meloni for lacking courage and not helping the US fight Iran, and today Trump launched another attack on Meloni during an interview.
Responding to a question from a Fox reporter, Trump stated that his relationship with Meloni and Italy is no longer the same. "For any country that refuses to help deal with the situation in Iran, our relationship with that country has changed." As is well known, Italy also needs to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to acquire a large amount of oil.
Meloni did not directly respond to Trump's successive bombardments today. However, when she met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Prime Minister's Office in the evening, in addition to reiterating that Italy always stands with Ukraine, she also emphasized the importance of "Euro-Atlantic alliance unity," "because a divided West and a fragmented Europe will be the only real gift we can give to Moscow."
Many in Italian public opinion believe that Meloni is using this to indirectly call out to Trump. The ANSA news agency reported that in the past, whenever other European countries expressed concerns about the US stance, Meloni often called for the "Euro-Atlantic alliance to be united." Now, this phrase has a new interpretation.
Furthermore, Meloni stated in her speech that turmoil is becoming the new normal, and the situation is confusing and fearful. However, it is exactly at such times that the friendship between brotherly nations appears even more important, and they should support each other during the toughest times in history. Italian media interpreted that what Meloni referred to applies not only to the relationship between Italy and Ukraine but also to US allies.
Meloni used to frequently highlight that Italy could play a bridging role between the US and Europe. ANSA quoted sources familiar with the matter indicating that as Meloni's relationship with Trump changes, she has reminded her staff and cabinet ministers to stop talking loudly about this rhetoric.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, belonging to the far-right League party, also doubted Trump's ability to resolve the war. He sarcastically said, "According to Trump, the war should have ended several times by now, but it's still being fought."
The leaders of Italy and Ukraine also discussed strengthening defense cooperation during their meeting today. Zelenskyy stated that Italy is very interested in joint production, especially in the field of drones. To counter the Iranian Shahed drones used by Russia, Ukraine absolutely needs more air defense systems and looks forward to co-producing them with Italy.
Meloni stated that Italy had previously provided industrial boilers and generators to Ukraine to cope with power outages caused by Russian attacks. Now, Italy is focusing on providing medical equipment, particularly equipment for obstetrics and gynecology.
Meloni reiterated her hope that Ukraine will join the European Union and advance alongside other European countries moving in this direction. Italy will insist that the EU continues to exert economic pressure on Russia and ensure that the EU's financial aid funds for Ukraine are in place, as a financial crisis in Ukraine would also cause immeasurable losses to Europe.