No 'Begging', No Face-To-Face: Why Italy's Meloni Skipped UNGA In New York

News world No 'Begging', No Face-To-Face: Why Italy's Meloni Skipped UNGA In New York

No 'Begging', No Face-To-Face: Why Italy's Meloni Skipped UNGA In New York

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Last Updated: September 23, 2026, 11:26 IST

Although Meloni said she would not attend the UNGA because of her schedule, her absence from the gathering revives memories of her bitter spat with Trump after the G7 Summit

3 Quick Answers

US President Donald Trump with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni | File image: AFP

The annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opened Tuesday, with various world leaders in attendance, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among others.

However, one notable figure remained absent from the meeting: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Although Meloni said she would not attend the UNGA because of her jam-packed schedule, her absence from the gathering revives memories of her bitter spat with Trump after the G7 Summit in France this year.

According to Fox News, citing an official, the Italian Premier said she would not attend the UNGA, citing a packed schedule after attending six summits in three and a half weeks. She stated that she had “several dossiers" to handle at home.

No Face-To-Face Between Trump, Meloni

Meloni’s decision to skip the summit breaks with a roughly 15-year stretch in which an Italian Prime Minister attended the UN General Assembly, according to Associate Medias.

Her absence also means she will avoid a face-to-face meeting with Trump, months after a public virtual spat between the two leaders grabbed eyeballs.

Historically, the two have shared a cordial relationship.

What Happened Between Trump, Meloni?

Back in June, the dispute between Trump and Meloni escalated after the latter said the Italian Premier had “begged" him to take a photo at the G7 Summit in France.

Meloni staged a powerful comeback.

Addressing the US President, she said “being your friend doesn’t help my popularity", adding, “Neither I nor Italy ever beg".

This came months after tensions first surfaced between the two leaders after Meloni delivered her strongest criticism yet of the US military action against Iran, stating it was a part of a growing and dangerous trend of interventions “outside the scope of international law".

Her remarks came after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began in late February, and Tehran’s subsequent retaliation that saw several Gulf nations come under attack.

Italy remains a fundamental pillar of NATO, hosting thousands of U.S. military personnel and key installations like Aviano Air Base and home to the U.S. Navy Sixth Fleet in Naples. Recent public tensions between the leaders of the two allies have laid bare emerging cracks in what has long been a strong bilateral partnership.

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Quick Answers Powered by Ask News18 Why did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni skip the UNGA meeting in New York? Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni skipped the United Nations General Assembly due to a packed schedule, having attended six summits in three and a half weeks, and needing to handle several dossiers at home. How did Giorgia Meloni respond to Donald Trump's remarks about her at the G7 Summit? Meloni fired back after Trump claimed she had begged him for a photo at the G7 Summit, stating that being his friend does not help her popularity and asserting that neither she nor Italy ever begs. What led to the public tensions between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the US? Tensions surfaced after Meloni strongly criticized US military actions against Iran as being outside the scope of international law following US-Israeli strikes. Powered by Ask News18

About the Author Meemansa Shekhawat Sub-editor A Journalism graduate, Meemansa Shekhawat is a sub-editor at News18. Driven by a keen interest in news, she is a passionate writer with specialisation in national and international affairs. You can re... Read More

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First Published: September 23, 2026, 11:26 IST

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