Rubio’s Italy Visit Will Ease Tensions but Not Necessarily Close the Gap, Analysts Say

They said the Italian leader’s response to disagreements between Trump and the pope reflected mounting domestic pressure ahead of her reelection bid in 2027.
Rubio’s Italy Visit Will Ease Tensions but Not Necessarily Close the Gap, Analysts Say
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump leave the White House on March 20, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Italy on Wednesday for a three-day mission aimed partly at resetting relations with the Holy See and repairing the cooling political bond between the Trump administration and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Three Italian and European analysts told The Epoch Times that Rubio is well-placed to ease the immediate tensions, but that the strategic costs that have accumulated in recent weeks may be harder to repair.

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