Vance meets Meloni in Milan, linking Olympic talks to strained U.S.-Europe ties

Summary

Vance’s visit to Milan combined Olympic attendance with face-to-face diplomacy with Meloni, one of President Donald Trump’s closer allies in Europe, while Trump’s actions have left U.S. relations with Europe increasingly strained, according to the Associated Press report.

Vance began his day at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, where he watched the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition with his family and with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He later attended the Olympics opening ceremony in the evening, where cheers rose when U.S. athletes entered but an image of Vance displayed on the screens was met with boos.

At the start of his meeting with Meloni, Vance went to the Prefettura di Milano, a Milan palace used as a municipal building. The face-to-face session lasted about an hour, followed by a closed-door lunch.

Only a few minutes of the top of the meeting were open to the press. Meloni began her remarks in Italian and then switched to English, joking that Vance probably did not understand what she had been saying; Vance responded by joking that he had been able to learn Italian since his last visit to Italy, which he said he did not do.

Meloni told the vice president she was “happy to have you here” to discuss their “wonderful bilateral relation,” and she said the leaders would discuss several topics of bilateral cooperation. She also referenced the Olympics, calling them “events that tell about values that keep together Italy and the U.S.” and “western civilization.”

During the press-visible portion, Tilman Fertitta, the U.S. ambassador to Italy, walked in to greet Vance and said that, “It’s hard to get around,” as security arrangements tied to the Olympics had produced traffic closures and other logistical problems.

Vance’s office later said Vance and Meloni made a private visit to the Pinacoteca di Brera art museum for about half an hour. In addition, it said that during the meeting, Meloni and Vance discussed the strength of bilateral relations between the nations, the Olympics, and mutual efforts to improve the business and investment climate.

At the Olympics ceremony, Vance attended with his wife, Usha, seated next to former International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. Earlier in the evening, Vance told Meloni that he was “thrilled to be here” and said he looked forward to “a great conversation about number of topics,” describing the moment through “the spirit of the Olympics friendship, competition — competition based on rules — and just coming together around shared values.”

The AP report also noted that Meloni has cultivated a close relationship with Trump, visiting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in early January 2025 and with both sides praising each other since. More recently, however, Meloni has aligned with top European allies opposing Trump’s push to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark. While reporters were present at the Meloni meeting, Vance and Rubio did not answer shouted questions about U.S. talks with Iran.