Rubio’s Rome challenge: Managing an ally, appealing to a pope – POLITICO

ROME — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to Rome this week with two sensitive missions: contain a public spat with the Vatican and ease tensions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over defense and trade.

With Meloni, Rubio arrives with leverage.

Italy is under pressure to keep Donald Trump from following through on threats to pull U.S. troops and slap tariffs on European cars. That gives Washington the upper hand — and Meloni an incentive to keep things constructive.