ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday she would not support any decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Italy.
“It is a decision that doesn’t depend on me and one that I personally would not agree with,” Meloni told reporters in Yerevan, Armenia, on the sidelines of a European Political Community summit.
Asked whether Washington would consider pulling its troops out of Italy and Spain, Trump last week answered “probably”.
Meloni added she would likely meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is due to travel to Rome later this week for talks, including a meeting with Pope Leo.
Earlier, President Donald Trump has threatened to reduce American troop deployments in Germany and expand possible cuts to Italy and Spain, amid escalating tensions with European allies over the US-led military campaign against Iran.
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He escalated the threat on Thursday, saying cuts could also extend to Italy and Spain.
The remarks come amid widening transatlantic divisions over the war with Iran, which the US launched without informing most NATO allies in advance.
