Upon returning from the United States, Italian Prime Minister Meloni hosted Vice President JD Vance in Rome, describing their meeting as “another great opportunity.” Following her visit to the US, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with US Vice President James David (JD) Vance in Rome. Discussing key issues such as customs tariffs, the Russia-Ukraine war, and defense spending with President Donald Trump in Washington yesterday, Meloni welcomed Vance, who arrived in Rome in the morning to spend Easter with her, at the Chigi Palace. Meeting Vance in the courtyard of the Chigi Palace, both leaders made brief statements before their discussions. Meloni expressed her honor at hosting Vice President Vance at the Chigi Palace, jokingly mentioning their meeting in Washington the day before. She stated that their discussions today presented “another major opportunity” to strengthen bilateral cooperation, emphasizing their commitment to enhancing partnerships between Italy and the US. Vice President Vance highlighted that they would focus on relations between the two countries and trade negotiations with the European Union during their discussions, emphasizing the need to address certain challenges. He mentioned briefing the Prime Minister on negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, expressing hope that they could end the brutal war. Italian media extensively covered Meloni’s meeting with Trump on Thursday, April 17. Reports highlighted Meloni inviting Trump to Rome to meet with EU leaders, and Trump praising the Italian Prime Minister as his “best ally,” noting that he accepted her invitation. Articles also mentioned that Trump maintained his stance on customs tariffs during the meeting, although the leaders held conflicting views on Ukraine. While La Repubblica reported that Meloni avoided divisive issues during the meeting with Trump, it noted that she did not shy away from labeling Putin as aggressive in the Ukrainian war context. Vice President Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019 and describes himself as a “baby Catholic,” is expected to cross over to the neighboring Vatican City State tomorrow during his Easter stay in Rome to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State. It remains unclear whether Vance, who recently recovered from bilateral pneumonia, will be received by Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics, and the Vatican Head of State. While it is still uncertain whether Pope Francis, who had occasional tensions with the Trump administration on issues such as migration, will meet with the second-ranking official of the Trump administration during his recovery period, as he did with King Charles III of England, who visited Rome at the beginning of April.