Vance meets Italian Prime Minister Meloni after attending Olympic skating

Vice President JD Vance attended a team figure skating session at the Milan Olympics and afterward held about an hour-long meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Milan for the Olympic Games and combined public attendance at skating events with diplomatic meetings. He watched the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena with his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Later he met at the Prefettura di Milano with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for about an hour, followed by a closed-door lunch. Vance's office said the visit also included a roughly half-hour private stop at the Pinacoteca di Brera art museum. Key details: - Vice President JD Vance attended the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena with his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. - Vance met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Prefettura di Milano; the bilateral meeting lasted about an hour and was followed by a closed-door lunch. - Vance and Meloni made a private visit to the Pinacoteca di Brera art museum for about half an hour, according to Vance's office. - Their discussion, the vice president's office said, covered the strength of bilateral relations, the Olympics, and efforts to improve the business and investment climate. - Meloni is described as one of the Trump administration's closer allies in Europe and visited President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in January 2025; she has also aligned with other European allies in opposing the Trump administration's proposal regarding Greenland. - During the short portion of the meeting open to reporters, the leaders exchanged pleasantries and did not answer shouted questions about talks between the U.S. and Iran. Summary: The meeting highlighted a mix of public events and diplomacy during Vance's weeklong visit to Italy. It occurred amid broader tensions in U.S.-Europe relations noted during the Trump administration. Undetermined at this time.