U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance Meets Italian PM Giorgia Meloni in Rome

U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Rome on Friday for meetings at the Vatican and with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, just a day after her White House visit.

Meloni, who has sought to position herself as a mediator between the U.S. and Europe, won praise from President Donald Trump during their Oval Office meeting on Thursday for her hardline stance on migration. Vance, who attended the discussions, is set to meet with Meloni later in the day before participating in Easter weekend events at the Vatican.

The White House confirmed Vance will also meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, though no audience with Pope Francis has been announced. The 88-year-old Pope has significantly reduced his schedule while recovering from a severe bout of double pneumonia.

Francis and Vance, a convert to Catholicism, have clashed in the past over migration and the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies. Days before his hospitalization, the pope condemned such plans, arguing they strip migrants of their dignity. He also appeared to rebuke Vance directly in a letter to U.S. bishops after the vice president suggested Catholic doctrine justified the administration’s approach.

Trade, Ukraine, and Shared Conservative Agenda

Vance’s trip marks his first return to Europe since delivering a fiery speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, where he criticized the EU on cultural issues while urging greater European responsibility for its own security.

Speaking briefly to reporters at Palazzo Chigi, the Italian prime minister’s office, Vance expressed enthusiasm for spending Easter in Rome, calling it a city that "lifts up the human spirit." He also indicated he would discuss Ukraine-Russia negotiations with Meloni, hinting at "interesting developments" but offering no details.

"We feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this very brutal war to a close," he said.

Later on Friday, Vance is expected to attend Good Friday Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. On Saturday, he will meet with Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican’s second-highest-ranking official. The 40-year-old vice president traveled with his wife and three children, with the family set to celebrate Easter Sunday at the Vatican.

Meloni, the first European leader to meet Trump since he imposed—and then temporarily suspended—tariffs on EU exports, has framed herself as a key figure in averting a transatlantic trade war. During their Oval Office meeting, Trump praised her as "fantastic," while Meloni echoed his rhetoric, vowing to "make the West great again."

Her outreach to Trump has raised concerns among some EU allies about undermining bloc unity. Meanwhile, differences over Ukraine remain a delicate issue. While Meloni has been a vocal supporter of Kiev, Trump has recently shifted toward a more Moscow-friendly stance, criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during their February meeting.

"We have some disagreements," Trump admitted on Thursday with Meloni at his side, though he stopped short of blaming Zelensky for the war.