U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera reported that Rubio, who is Catholic, is likely to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s chief diplomat. It remains unclear whether he will also meet Pope Leo XIV.
Rubio last met the pope in May 2025 alongside Vice President JD Vance, when both attended the inaugural Mass in St Peter’s Square and later held private talks with the pontiff.
In recent weeks, Pope Leo has taken a more visible role on the global stage. He has criticised the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran and voiced strong opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
President Donald Trump also drew attention in April after criticising the pope on social media, at one point calling him “terrible”.
During the visit, Rubio is also expected to meet Italy’s foreign and defence ministers. The reports suggest the trip is aimed at easing tensions following Trump’s recent criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a key European ally.
The schedule has not been finalised, and a meeting with Meloni has not been ruled out.
The visit comes shortly after the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw around 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, the largest American military presence in Europe. The move has added to wider tensions linked to the conflict with Iran and ongoing trade disputes.
Italy remains one of the main hosts of U.S. forces in Europe, with nearly 13,000 troops stationed across six bases at the end of 2025.
Officials in Washington, the Vatican and Rome have not yet commented on the reported visit.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, s...
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a ...
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment