US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to travel to Rome this week for a visit aimed at thawing strained relations with the Italian government and the Vatican, according to reports. Rubio will be in the Italian capital on Thursday and Friday, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Pope Leo's papacy, the first US-born pontiff.
Diplomatic Agenda
A foreign ministry source confirmed that Rubio will meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Rubio has also requested a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, but the request has not yet been granted, the source added.
According to Corriere della Sera, Rubio's trip was announced in a letter from US Ambassador to Rome Tilman Fertitta, who has been working to rebuild ties following Donald Trump's broadside against Pope Leo over the pontiff's condemnation of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Trump criticized Meloni, previously a close ally, after she defended the pope, threatening to withdraw US troops from Italy.
Complicated Mission
Corriere described the mission as "not impossible, but complicated." Rubio is scheduled to meet Parolin on Thursday and Tajani on Friday, with a possible meeting with Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, though no official appointment has been confirmed. The Vatican has not commented.
Broader Context
On Friday, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany, with Trump suggesting the number could increase, citing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's remarks on US humiliation by Iran. Trump has also threatened similar moves against Italy and Spain over their positions on the Iran war. Italy refused the use of an airbase in Sicily for US planes carrying weapons for the conflict.
Crosteto expressed confusion over Trump's threats, denying accusations that Rome failed to support US efforts, particularly in maritime security. Rubio and Vice President JD Vance attended Pope Leo's inauguration last year and had a private audience, handing him an invitation from Trump to the White House, which the pope has not accepted.
In response to Trump's outburst, the pope stated he does not fear the US administration and continues to speak out against the war on Iran.
