{"id":2586,"date":"2026-05-08T12:01:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=2586"},"modified":"2026-05-08T12:01:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:01:54","slug":"italy-tells-rubio-that-europe-needs-america-and-vice-versa-on-day-2-of-us-fence-mending-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=2586","title":{"rendered":"Italy tells Rubio that Europe needs America and vice versa on Day 2 of US fence-mending visit"},"content":{"rendered":"

By GIADA ZAMPANO<\/strong><\/p>\n

ROME (AP) \u2014 Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday that Europe needs the United States, and vice versa, as America\u2019s top diplomat wrapped up two days of fence-mending talks in Italy and the Vatican following weeks of tensions over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.<\/p>

Read more Man charged with harassing former Prince Andrew near his home<\/a><\/p>\n

Tajani reaffirmed strong trans-Atlantic ties and said he hoped \u201ctensions have been calmed\u201d with Rubio\u2019s visit. He said the two discussed the Iran war and spillover into Lebanon, as well as the situation in Venezuela and Cuba. The U.S. secretary of state also met Friday with Premier Giorgia Meloni.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe things can go in the right direction,\u201d Tajani said. \u201cI am convinced Europe needs America \u2014 Italy needs America \u2014 and the United States also needs Europe and Italy.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs, his complaints about Europe\u2019s unwillingness to help the U.S. with the Iran war and his attacks on Pope Leo XIV have fueled weeks of sharp disagreements over trade and defense cooperation between the two traditionally strong allies.<\/p>\n

Tajani reaffirmed Friday that Italy stood ready to send in its navy to help demine the Strait of Hormuz once a permanent ceasefire is reached with Iran, and to maintain its already strong presence in Lebanon with the U.N. peacekeeping mission. He said he told Rubio that Italy considers the presence of U.S. troops in Europe to reinforce NATO important, a reference to Trump\u2019s threats to pull back America\u2019s troops.<\/p>\n

The State Department, for its part, said Rubio raised efforts to \u201cpromote freedom of navigation and maritime security,\u201d as well as a need for an end to the war in Ukraine, and for Western nations to protect their economic interests.<\/p>\n

Trump has criticized both the pope and Italy\u2019s government for opposing the Iran war. Meloni has called the U.S.-Israeli bombing \u201cillegal\u201d and rebuked Trump\u2019s remarks about the pontiff as \u201cunacceptable.\u201d<\/p>

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Trump has responded by accusing Meloni of lacking courage and being \u201cnegative\u201d on helping the U.S. with the war. Meloni had long been seen as one of Trump\u2019s top allies in Europe, but Trump has openly said their relationship has cooled.<\/p>\n