The American Secretary sees Prime Minister Meloni and Minister Tajani. Hormuz, Lebanon and trade are the issues on the table, as well as relations to mend after Trump’s attacks.
After the face to face with Pope Leo XIVtoday the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued his Italian tour with the highly anticipated meeting with the prime minister Giorgia Meloniin what we could define as a attempt to restore relations between Rome and Washington.
A visit that government circles have defined as “courtesy”, which however arrives at a historical moment of tension after the numerous attacks by the President Donald Trump against Italyguilty of having partially limited the use of American bases for the war on Iran and reluctant to get involved in the Middle Eastern war.
The meeting between Rubio and Meloni
The bilateral meeting between Meloni and Rubio began shortly after 11:30 am. First, however, it was the turn of the photographers and the ritual handshake. There are many issues to address, starting with that of Hormuz, where Rome has already agreed to send two Navy minehunters.
The proposal presents, which should be understood as one defensive mission to clear mines in the Strait once hostilities have finally ended, it however has conditions; that is, that it takes place within an international framework shared by the European allies and only after the green light from Parliament.
Returning to the meeting, which lasted approximately two hours, according to what Secretary Rubio stated at the end of the conversation “we did not discuss details about NATO and American troops“, since “The final decision is up to Trumpbut I have always said publicly that I am a strong supporter of NATO.”
While on the negotiations with Iran he specified that Washington expects “serious offer” and that this could open “a process of responsible negotiations” to definitively end the war.
The discussions regarding Lebanon were also confirmed, regarding which the Secretary declared that “Italy can do something more in making a contribution to resolving the situation in Lebanonfor its expertise and its presence in the area”.
For Rubio, however, no longer being able to count on some European NATO allies for the deployment of forces to be used in other quadrants is a “problem to analyze“.”One of the main reasons why the United States is part of NATO is the possibility of deploying forces in Europe that we can then use in other situations“, explained Rubio, “now, this is no longer possible, at least as far as some members of NATO are concerned. This is a problem that needs to be analyzed.”
Face to face also with Tajani
Before the meeting with the Prime Minister, however, the American Secretary went to the Farnesina for a conversation with his counterpart, the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. “I told him that the USA also needs the EU and Italy“, the minister reported to the press at the end of the meeting.
In general, “the meeting with the US Secretary of State was positive“, Tajani reported. “I said what our position is on the situation in Iran, we support all initiatives that can lead to a permanent ceasefire. I reiterated Italy’s responsibility to be present with our navy in Hormuz“
Lebanon was also discussed, where the minister underlined “the importance of Italy’s role in guaranteeing stability, and also strengthening the Lebanese regular armed forces, which we are already doing in our bilateral mission”.
Finally, time was also dedicated to the “Venezuela, Africa, and Cuba issue, as well as Europe. I reiterated that an American presence in Europe is important for us. We also spoke briefly about duties.”
Trump’s attacks on Italy
The fact remains that, after years of harmony, the relationship between Donald Trump And Giorgia Meloni it broke down sharply in April, while it still remains to be seen whether Rubio’s visit will be enough to re-establish relations.
In a telephone interview given to Corriere della Sera in April, during the active phase of the conflict with Iran, Trump declared that he was “shocked” from the prime minister: “I thought he had courage, I was wrong. He doesn’t want to help us in the war“.
Trump then returned to attack Rome over the issue of the Sigonella base, denied to American bombers, writing in Truth: “Italy wasn’t there for us, we won’t be there for them“. On May 1st he escalated the issue, defining Italy as “of no help” and fearing a withdrawal of American troops from the peninsula.
Rubio’s visit to Rome represents the first concrete attempt to mend a rift which, in a few weeks, seems to have almost definitively damaged relations with one of Trump’s few European allies.
