Joe Biden was late and with a dramatic eye roll, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appeared annoyed on Thursday morning as she and other world leaders waited for the US President and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to finally join them and start the third day of the NATO Summit.
While talking to Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Meloni glanced up at the ceiling and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly before gesturing to her wrist to show she wasn't wearing a watch, as the clock ticked past the scheduled 10 a.m. start time. Another person who overheard the conversation took out their phone to check the time.
Meloni Shows Her Frustration
Seeing this, she rolled her eyes again, frowned, and then seemed to realize that cameras were focused on her. It's unclear what the leaders were discussing, but the strong reaction from Meloni caught the attention of some observers, including a Financial Times reporter who praised her "impressive eye-rolling skills" in a post on X.
Biden and Stoltenberg eventually started the day around 10:40 a.m., after Biden left the White House for the summit nearly 20 minutes after the scheduled start time.
Additionally, the White House postponed Biden's eagerly awaited solo press conference to 6:30 p.m.
Social Media Reacts
"Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appears irritated as she rolls her eyes and checks imaginary watch while waiting for Biden's late arrival before starting the NATO summit in Washington DC," a user wrote sharing Melon's eye rolling video.
"Giorgia Meloni on top eye-rolling form as leaders at the @Nato summit wait for Stoltenberg and Biden to arrive for today's first session," Financial Times' Henry Foy commented on X.
This isn't the first instance this summer where the 81-year-old president has kept Meloni waiting.
"You shouldn't keep a woman waiting like this," Meloni reportedly teased Biden in what seemed like a lighthearted comment.
Later at the G7, Meloni had to guide Biden back to a skydiving demonstration when he began to wander off, missing the action as he turned and walked away from his fellow heads of state to speak with an officer packing a parachute.
