JD Vance and his wife Usha applaud at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.

MILAN (AP) — Vice President JD Vance met Friday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — one of the Trump administration's closer allies in Europe — during his trip to Italy for the Olympic Games.

Vance is on a weeklong visit that combines sports and diplomacy, meeting with Meloni at a time when U.S. relations with Europe have become increasingly strained under President Donald Trump, who has shaken up the rules-based order that has been at the center of U.S. foreign policy since World War II.

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The vice president started his day at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, watching the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition with his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In the evening, he attended the Olympics opening ceremony.

Cheers went up for U.S. athletes when they entered, but an image of Vance shown on screens........

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