Before Easter at the Vatican and a conference with the priest’s right-hand man, US Vice President JD Vance and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Rome on Friday.
With Vance and Donald Trump, Meloni met in Washington the day before on a charm offensive aimed at a US-EU tariff cope, and they both hold conservative views.
Italy, the fourth-largest exporter in the world, sends around 10 % of its export to the United States, and Trump’s affected taxes could include a significant impact on it.
Vance’s first trip to Europe since making a vicious speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, where he attacked the EU’s users for their role in cultural wars while urging the bloc to” move off” in managing its own safety, is also his first since.
Vance said in brief remarks to the media at Palazzo Chigi, the prime minister’s residence, that he was “looking forward to spending Easter around.”
He continued,” This is a spot that was created by people who love people and like God,” adding that it “really lifts up the human heart”.
Vance stated that he would talk with Meloni about the discussions involving Ukraine and Russia and release on trade agreements with the European Union, adding that” we have some interesting items to report on, of course in private.”
Although” I didn’t prejudice them, we do have faith that we can finally take this bloody war to an end,” he said.
According to the White House, Vance did enter Great Friday mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday.
He will meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state of the Vatican, who is the Holy See’s second-highest national after Pope Francis, on Saturday.
The 40-year-old Vance, who converted to Christianity in his mid-30s, traveled to Rome with his wife and three children, with the household scheduled to celebrate Easter at St. Peter’s on Sunday.
Meloni was Trump’s first leader from Europe since he imposed 20 % tariffs on EU exports, which he has since suspended for 90 days.
On Thursday, the two leaders exchanged a warm welcome during a working snacks and a meeting at the Oval Office. Donald Trump praised the 48-year-old European elite as “fantastic.”
Meloni referred to their traditional common ground and said she wanted to “make the West excellent again” by claiming to be the only European who could stop Trump’s business war.
Some Union allies are concerned that Meloni’s choice to personally intervene with Trump may destroy the unity of the group.
Trump expressed his confidence in a potential agreement with the 27-nation union, which he has accused of trying to “screw” the United States, but he said on Thursday that he was in” no rush” to sign a deal.
The US and European leaders remained sensitive about Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion of 2022, Meloni has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and its leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, most just calling Moscow’s Palm Sunday assault on Sumy “horrible and nasty.”
Trump has, however, shocked friends with his frequent attacks on Zelensky, whom he and Vance berated in a televised Oval Office gathering in February. He has pivoted toward Moscow and has made repeated assaults on him.
Trump stated with Meloni next to him that he was” not a great fan” of the Russian leader and that he didn’t keep Zelensky accountable for the beginning of the war.
