Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit the Vatican and Italy this week, the state department confirmed Monday. The White House has publicly feuded with both states on foreign policy.
In a statement, the State Department said Rubio will meet with “Holy See leadership to discuss the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere.”
Pope Leo XIV has criticized both the United States and Iran’s role in the ongoing conflict.
In turn, President Donald Trump responded, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Rubio will also meet with Italian officials for talks “focused on shared security interests and strategic alignment,” per the state department.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggested when asked by reporters Monday that she will likely meet with Rubio.
Rubio’s trip to Europe comes as the administration is becoming increasingly critical of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) due to its members’ refusal to join in combat operations against Iran and secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The administration has already announced its intent to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a NATO member. Trump told reporters of the withdrawals on Saturday that “we’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”
Trump also floated withdrawing American troops from Italy and Spain on Thursday, saying they have “not been of any help to us.”
