Italy’s prime minister has publicly opposed US troop withdrawal from Italian soil. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to visit Rome and the Vatican in an attempt to ease a deepening transatlantic rift over the Iran war.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said on Monday she does not agree with US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he intends to withdraw American troops from several European countries, including Italy, citing their alleged failure to support the United States in the war against Iran.
Speaking on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, Meloni was unequivocal about her position while acknowledging the limits of her authority. “It’s a choice that doesn’t depend on me — I personally don’t agree with it,” she told reporters. “Italy has always kept its commitments, always done so within NATO, even when our direct interests weren’t at stake, in Afghanistan as in Iraq.”
Meloni also pushed back directly on Trump’s characterisation of Italy as an uncooperative ally. “I don’t consider some of the things said about us correct,” she said. She was referring to the US president’s claim that she had changed and that Rome had not been sufficiently helpful.
The Pentagon last week confirmed plans to withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany, where some 35,000 US personnel are currently stationed. When asked whether similar withdrawals from Italy and Spain were under consideration, Trump said Washington would “probably” consider it. Italy had denied US aircraft access to the Sigonella air base in Sicily for missions linked to the Iran conflict — a decision that contributed to Washington’s frustration with Rome.
Meloni noted that the broader question of American military presence in Europe had been building for some time. “The US has been discussing disengagement in Europe for some time,” she said. “We must strengthen our security and increase our response capacity.”
Rubio arrives to thaw relations
Against this backdrop, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is travelling to Rome from 6 to 8 May in what Italian media have characterised as a relations-thawing mission. His schedule includes a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, with discussions expected to focus on the situation in the Middle East and mutual interests in the western hemisphere. He will also meet with Italian counterparts to address shared security interests and strategic alignment, probably including the US troop withdrawal.
The Vatican confirmed on Monday that the pope would receive Rubio at the Apostolic Palace at 11:30 on Thursday. The Italian government announced that Meloni and Rubio would meet at Palazzo Chigi on Friday. Rubio is also expected to meet Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
