Giorgia Meloni Steals the Show at Israel-Gaza Peace Summit: Viral Moments You Can’t Miss
A day after the historic Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit on Monday (October 13), which marked a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza in the presence of 30 world leaders, attention has shifted to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Meloni’s expressions, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s effusive praise of former U.S. President Donald Trump, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s playful quip about her smoking habit have all gone viral.
A brief interaction between Erdogan and Meloni became an instant talking point. In a now-viral clip, Erdogan greeted Meloni warmly, prompting her to say, “I saw you coming down from the plane.”
“You look great,” Erdogan replied, before adding with a grin, “But I have to make you stop smoking.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, standing nearby, laughed and chimed in, “It’s impossible.”
Amused, Meloni shot back, “I know, I know. I don’t want to kill somebody.” The Italian leader had recently revealed that she had started smoking again after quitting for 13 years.
Erdogan to Meloni;
“You look good! But I have to make you quit smoking”
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) October 13, 2025
Meloni also shared the stage with Donald Trump, who turned heads by calling her “beautiful” in the middle of a speech on his peace efforts in the Middle East.
“If you use the word ‘beautiful’ in the United States about a woman, that’s the end of your political career, but I’ll take my chances,” Trump said, before addressing the 48-year-old PM directly: “You don’t mind being called beautiful, right? Because you are.”
Meloni responded with a smile and a respectful namaste. Trump went on to call her “incredible” and praised her political success and ideological alignment on immigration and cultural issues.
Trump to Giorgia Meloni:
“In the U.S., if you tell a woman she’s beautiful, your political career is over. But I’ll take my chances. You won’t be offended if I say you’re beautiful, right?“
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) October 13, 2025
But the summit’s theatrics didn’t stop there. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, summoned unexpectedly by Trump to speak, waxed lyrical about the former U.S. President.
In a five-minute speech, Sharif nominated Trump for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize, calling him a “man of peace” for his role in stopping eight wars and saving millions of lives in South Asia and the Middle East.
Throughout Sharif’s glowing tribute, Meloni’s reactions were priceless. At times, she instinctively covered her mouth, at others, she maintained a poker face, seeming to struggle to process the hyperbolic praise.
Trump: "I think Pakistan and India are gonna live very NICELY together"
Turns to Shehbaz Sharif: ‘Right?’
Look at Chatukar's big smile. He still thinks this Joker Trump can save him when Bharat goes for the DECISIVE one?
Anyway, let both of them happy 'TILL THEN'! pic.twitter.com/qlhS55S3GY
— BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) October 13, 2025
From Erdogan’s playful scolding to Trump’s compliments and Sharif’s over-the-top flattery, Meloni’s expressions became the unofficial highlight of the summit. If diplomacy had a red carpet, she would have stolen it—one eye roll at a time.
