Rome: Former Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, said on Friday he would sue George Papadopoulos, a one-time campaign aide for US President Donald Trump, over allegations that Renzi had tried to undermine Trump's 2016 election campaign.

Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Credit:Bloomberg

In an interview published earlier on Friday, Papadopoulos told the Italian daily La Verita he believed Renzi had acted on the orders of former US President Barack Obama to "strike a low blow" against Trump in the run-up to the 2016 vote.

Renzi denied the allegation in a post on Facebook, saying Papadopoulos's accusation was "seriously damaging to my reputation." He added: "See you in court."

Papadopoulos shot back on Twitter, calling Renzi "the failed former Italian Prime Minister," and reiterating his accusation that Renzi had attempted to interfere in the US election.