Trump said Meloni "begged" him for a photo at the G7. Meloni replied that it was made up. Italy's foreign minister cancelled his visit to Washington. It's a diplomatic scandal in five sentences - and an accurate picture of what American-European "cooperation" looks like today.

Antonio Tajani, Italy's top diplomat, was due to fly to Washington on June 21 and 22 for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and to attend an Italian-American forum in Miami. He cancelled the lot. The reason: Trump's remarks about Meloni which, according to Tajani, "insulted all of Italy."

In an interview, Trump claimed the Italian PM had "begged" him for a joint photo at the G7, and that he did it out of pity. Meloni, in a video address, said Trump had "stated a complete falsehood" and that she was "genuinely shocked." Then came a second jab - Trump said he didn't want Meloni "as a fan" because Rome hadn't backed the American military action against Iran.

This is an instructive story. Trump and Meloni were billed as natural allies - two right-wing populists on the same wavelength. The reality is that every sovereign interest sooner or later collides with Trump's ego. Iran, Qatar, Ukraine - Europe is discovering that "a good relationship with Washington" guarantees nothing in this era. It's no surprise. It's a surprise only to those who weren't listening.