From Giorgia Meloni To Emmanuel Macron: How European Leaders Are Losing Patience With Trump

Last Updated:June 21, 2026, 16:52 IST

Trump sparked an international row with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming that she repeatedly asked for a photo with him at the recent G7 Summit.

US President Donald Trump sparked an international row with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming that she repeatedly asked for a photo with him at the recent G7 Summit, prompting an angry rebuttal from Meloni who called the assertions “completely made up."

The rift, which angered Italy and caused Deputy PM Antonio Tajani to cancel his visit to the US, escalated after Trump claimed Meloni had repeatedly asked her for a photo to boost her falling popularity numbers in Rome. Meloni hit back sharply, telling the US president to focus on his own popularity.

This is far from the first time Trump has publicly targeted world leaders. The 80-year-old US president has spent much of his second term in office criticising allies like NATO and the European Union on a range of issues. Most recently, he had clashed with European leaders over their unwillingness to join the US-Israel war on Iran.

European Leaders Losing Patience With Trump?

In the past several months, Trump has insulted several European leaders, even igniting feuds with leaders he once respected. However, Trump’s declining political stock and growing unpopularity has emboldened some leaders to speak out against him.

Giorgia Meloni

Trump’s feud with Meloni is most surprising, as she had been frequently compared to the US president due to their ideological alignment, and the Italian PM had long been considered one of his most natural partners in Europe. The latest rift has shown the political costs of aligning too closely with an increasingly unpopular Trump.

However, tensions between the two leaders came to a head when Meloni publicly criticised Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV for the pontiff’s anti-war views as “unacceptable". Trump, who had earlier called her an excellent leader, lashed out against Meloni for failing to support US action against Iran. The differences became more visible as Meloni publicly declared the US-Iran war illegal and refused to allow US bombers to use a critical military airbase in Sicily.

ALSO READ: From Vocal Supporter To Distant Partner: How The Trump-Meloni Relationship Evolved Over The Years

Emmanuel Macron

Trump has a long history of tensions with French President Emmanuel Macron, ranging from policy criticisms, deeply personal remarks, to mocking imitations. Despite a brief period of cordial relations, both Trump and Macron have publicly criticised each other’s policies.

Earlier this year, Trump made a personal remark on Macron’s marriage, saying he is treated “extremely badly" by his wife Brigitte. Macron responded by saying that Trump’s comments “weren’t elegant, and they weren’t up to par." He also urged his US counterpart to be more careful with his comments.

Friedrich Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who presented Trump with a football jersey at the recent G7 Summit, also has a complicated relationship with Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Germany over defence spending and economic policies. Merz has pushed back against Trump’s claims, saying he “does not care much about the fate of Europe".

Tensions emerged between the two leaders after Merz said the US was being “humiliated" by Iran at the negotiation table, while Trump said the chancellor was doing a “terrible job" in Germany and threatened to withdraw troops from the country.

Pedro Sanchez

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez has been one of the most outspoken critics of Trump’s war against Iran. In the early days of the war, he called it “reckless and illegal" and said Spain would “not be complicit in something that is bad for the world." He also accused Trump of “playing Russian Roulette" with millions of lives over the war with Iran.

Trump threatened to cut off all trade with Spain after Sanchez refused access to its military bases to aid the war effort. He also suggested expelling Spain from NATO over what he perceived as a lack of commitment to the alliance.

Keir Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is generally known as one of Trump’s closest allies, has also faced the ire of the US president’s unconventional diplomatic style. More recently, Trump has claimed that Starmer was “not doing enough" to support the US in its operations in Iran and also criticised the UK’s immigration policy.

Starmer also pushed back against what he called US interference in Britain’s domestic policies. He also condemned Trump’s remarks claiming NATO troops in Afghanistan had avoided fighting on the frontlines, calling them “insulting and frankly appalling." Starmer also rebuked Trump’s threat to destroy a “whole civilisation" in Iran.

About the Author

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More

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