Biden to Travel to Italy During His Final Days in Office
President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his trip to Italy from January 9 to 12.
Next month, President Joe Biden will embark on a visit to Italy, which is expected to be one of the last international journeys of his presidency.
This week, the White House revealed that Biden will be in Italy from January 9 to 12, where he will engage with Pope Francis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
During a press briefing on December 20, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that Biden’s meeting with the Pope will emphasize global peace initiatives. She added that the president aims to “underscore the strength of the U.S.–Italy partnership, express gratitude to Prime Minister Meloni for her effective leadership of the G7 this past year, and address significant global challenges.”
Late-term international trips by U.S. presidents are uncommon. The last president to travel abroad in the final month of their term was George H.W. Bush, who journeyed to Moscow in early January 1993 to sign a nuclear treaty and then to Paris for discussions with French President François Mitterrand concerning the Bosnian war, according to historical records from the State Department.
“I’m always very cautious. Anything could happen,” she remarked.
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Continuing international assistance for Ukraine may be a significant point of discussion during Biden’s visit. Throughout Ukraine’s nearly three-year conflict with Russia, the United States, alongside its NATO allies and partners in the Group of Seven (G7), has provided military support and aid.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has emerged as the principal geopolitical challenge of Biden’s administration.
Recently, G7 members have been preparing new financial assistance for Ukraine, utilizing frozen Russian sovereign funds. These initiatives correspond with Italy’s term as the G7’s rotating presidency.
Prime Minister Meloni recently led a virtual G7 meeting where leaders reaffirmed their commitment to support Ukraine.
Biden’s discussions with Meloni come at a time when uncertainty surrounds how President-elect Donald Trump will approach the ongoing conflict following his inauguration. Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump has advocated for negotiations to swiftly conclude the hostilities while expressing less enthusiasm for continued U.S. support for Ukraine. He has also criticized various NATO nations for not contributing more to collective military efforts.
NATO has established a goal for its members to allocate at least 2 percent of their annual GDP towards defense, yet several countries within the alliance have struggled to meet this target over the years. While most NATO allies have increased their defense spending over the past decade, Italy remains one of the nations that has not achieved the alliance’s 2 percent benchmark.
Jean-Pierre suggested that Biden’s Catholic faith also plays a role in motivating his visit to Italy.
“As you know, he is a proud Catholic, which is something he is certainly looking forward to discussing; along with a conversation about peace worldwide,” Jean-Pierre mentioned. “We understand this is an issue of concern for His Holiness.”
Biden previously met with Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2021 and during the G7 Summit in Italy earlier this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
