There's a certain male fantasy in which the woman is always begging for attention - and that's exactly the fantasy Donald Trump spun about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. At the G7 summit in France, the U.S. president claimed Meloni had „begged" him for a photo together. „She wanted it so badly. I wouldn't have done it, but I felt sorry for her, so I agreed," he said. Meloni did not stay quiet.

Her reply was short and cold: „Donald Trump's claims are completely fabricated. I'm genuinely astonished." Then she added something that carries more weight than the photo itself - that neither she, nor Italy, „ever begs anyone for anything." One sentence that bundles together national pride and a message to everyone who thinks small countries are supplicants to the big ones. The Balkans know that dynamic by heart.

What makes the story interesting is that Meloni was one of Trump's biggest European backers - the only EU leader to attend his 2025 inauguration. The relationship began to fall apart after Trump went after Pope Francis over his condemnation of the conflict with Iran. From ally to stunned critic - a swift turn that shows just how little loyalty is worth in this political era.

Meloni also noted that Trump treats Western allies more harshly than his opponents, toward whom he shows „far more leniency." It's an observation many in Europe share, but few dare to say out loud. The question is whether the sharp words will be followed by a different policy - or whether, as so often happens, it stays just one more statement that will be forgotten by the next summit.