Marco Rubio says Vatican trip was planned before Trump spat
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 5
Marco Rubio says Vatican trip was planned before Trump spat
10 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 5
Rubio will visit Rome and the Vatican from 6 to 8 May for meetings with Italian and Vatican leaders, after the trip was announced publicly on Monday.
He said the visit was part of regular US engagement with the Holy See, rejecting speculation that it was arranged to repair strained ties.
The speculation followed Trump's public back-and-forth with Pope Leo XIV and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with Rubio's Catholic faith adding to attention on the trip.
With US-Vatican relations at a low, can Rubio's visit pave the way for a papal trip to the White House?
After Italy denied base access, will this visit redefine the terms of America's military alliances in Europe?
As the US mends ties with allies, is China's new peacemaker role in the Middle East a permanent global power shift?