US-Italy tensions rise as Rubio prepares for high-stakes Rome visit
Marco Rubio (photo: Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will come to Rome next week for a series of meetings with Vatican officials and members of the Italian government.
On Thursday, May 7, Rubio is scheduled to meet with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Pope.
On Friday, May 8, he will hold talks with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
Rubio's visit is being viewed in Rome as an attempt to "reset" relations following a series of public remarks by US President Donald Trump that heightened tensions with the government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Additional strain was caused by Trump's comments about the Pope, whom he described as ineffective in fighting crime and criticized over his foreign policy positions.
US-Italy tensions
Earlier, in April, Donald Trump sharply criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in an interview with Italian media over her refusal to support a US operation against Iran.
"Do people like that? I can't imagine it. I'm shocked by her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," he said.
Back in late March, media reports claimed that Italy had closed its airspace to US aircraft that could have been involved in strikes against Iran.
Against this backdrop, the deterioration in relations between the two leaders became especially noticeable, despite Meloni previously being seen as one of Trump's key allies in Europe.
In response, the Italian prime minister said that courage means telling friends the truth and acting in the interests of one's own country and Europe.
Trump later threatened to reduce the US military presence in Italy and Spain, both of which had criticized Washington's actions in the Middle East.
Italian officials rejected the accusations. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, in particular, said claims that Rome had failed to support the United States were false, especially regarding security issues in the Strait of Hormuz.
