Italian PM Giorgia Meloni rolls eyes, checks imaginary watch waiting for Biden’s arrival at NATO summit
WASHINGTON – Hurry up, Joe.
With an eye roll for the ages, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appeared annoyed Thursday morning as she and other world leaders waited for President Biden and the alliance’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to finally grace them with their presence and open the third day of the NATO summit.
Speaking with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Meloni looked up at the ceiling and crossed her eyes dramatically before gesturing to her wrist to reveal she was not wearinꦑg a watch, as the clock ticked past the sc🍌heduled 10 a.m. start time.
A third person listening to the conversation then pulled 🍎out his phone to check the time, and she again rolled her eyes and scowled before apparently noticing the cameras focused on her.
It’s unclear what the leaders were discussing, but the bold reaction caught the attention of some onlookers, including a Financial Times reporter who said Meloni displayed in a post to X.
Biden and Stoltenberg finally opened the day at about 10:40 a.m. — aওfter Biden left the White House for the summit nea꧅rly 20 minutes after the event had been scheduled to begin.
The White House also pushed back Biden’s highly anticipated “big boy” solo press conference to 6:30 p.m.
It’s not the first time the 81-year-old president has kept Meloni waiting this summer.
He was the last of the leaders to arrive at last month’s G7 meeting in Italy’s Puglia region, awkwardly saluting her when she received him onstage before the event began.
“You shouldn’t leave a woman waiting like this,” Meloni reportedly chided Biden in an apparent attempt at humor.
Later during the G7, Meloni had to lead Bi🦹den back over to a skydiving demonstration when he , missing the a🗹ction as he turned around and shuffled away from his fellow heads of state to say something to an officer packing a parachute.
