A few hours before the NATO summit opening in Ankara on July 7 and 8, 2026, US President Donald Trump posted a meme on Truth Social showing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looking toward him, accompanied by the caption "Restraining order needed." The post was published on the evening of July 6, shortly after the US Independence Day celebrations, and followed weeks of mutual tensions, including the incident at the G7 in Evian where Trump claimed Meloni had "begged" for a photo with him, a claim Meloni denied by stating that "Italy and I never beg."

The Italian government chose not to reply publicly to the latest post. According to multiple sources, Palazzo Chigi opted for a strategy of silence, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and the Prime Minister agreeing overnight to ignore the provocation so as not to alter the agenda for Ankara. The opposition, however, criticized the executive's approach: former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated that while Trump's words are rejected, Meloni has "gone along with him on everything," while Action leader Carlo Calenda defined Trump a "cheap bully" and expressed solidarity with Meloni.

Numerous reactions came from the center-right majority as well: Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said "I no longer comment on these things," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stressed that "people pass but relations with the US must remain," and Tajani called the words "self-commenting."

The Ankara summit agenda includes the increase in defense spending, with the US pushing allies toward a 5% of GDP target currently planned for 2035. Secretary General Mark Rutte urged allies to be "credible" on this target, noting the current average is already at 4%. According to some reports, the Italian government would aim for 3.4% of GDP by 2028, with estimates varying between 17 and 19 billion euros in additional spending; Palazzo Chigi has not officially confirmed these figures. Trump also stated that Vladimir Putin "wants peace" and that he intends to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine at the summit.

According to some sources, the US administration is considering offering Italy and Turkey a leading role in stabilizing Libya and exploiting its resources, as a possible conciliatory gesture toward Rome. This hypothesis, reported by some outlets, is not confirmed by official statements.

Meanwhile, a separate case drew international attention during the World Cup. American striker Folarin Balogun, sent off during the USA-Bosnia and Herzegovina round of 16 match on July 2 after a VAR review for a serious foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic, had his one-match suspension suspended by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee through Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which allows the provisional suspension of a sanction with a one-year probation period.

Trump publicly admitted to having called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the decision, calling the referee Raphael Claus "suspicious" and "horrible." The Brazilian Football Confederation defended Claus's integrity, recalling that he was cleared without sanction in 2024 following allegations of match-fixing. Infantino released a statement stressing that "FIFA's judicial bodies are independent and operate autonomously," while confirming he received a phone call from Trump.

The decision drew criticism from UEFA, which spoke of a "red line crossed," and from the Belgian Football Federation, which filed a complaint subsequently rejected by FIFA as "inadmissible." Several analysts noted that this is the first time Article 27 has been applied to suspend an automatic one-match ban from a direct red card during a World Cup final phase, creating a potential precedent.

Despite Balogun's availability, the United States lost 1-4 to Belgium in the round of 16, with goals from De Ketelaere (brace), Vanaken, and Lukaku. The Belgian national team's official account posted a message reading "Overturn this," referencing Trump's request to reverse the suspension. Trump, questioned about a possible Belgian victory, had stated that in that case he would say it was "a rigged game," comparing it to the 2020 elections.

In a separate domestic context, Prime Minister Meloni praised singer Ultimo's concert at Tor Vergata in Rome, attended by approximately 250,000 people, calling it "an extraordinary evening" and praising "one of the most talented Italian singer-songwriters."