ROME — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared himself “a strong supporter of NATO” after talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, as political friction between the two allies brews.

The Italian leader described her meeting with Rubio to reporters as a”productive” and “frank” discussion “between two nations that both understand how necessary it is for each to defend their national interests,” signaling disagreements on some issues.

The secretary of state’s meetings with the PM and her Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, come amid rising tensions between Rome and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the EU with higher tariffs and hinted at withdrawing U.S. forces from Italy and Spain over what he sees as insufficient European support for the war in Iran.

According to Italian media, Rubio said he had not raised the issue of troop withdrawals directly with Meloni, but added that “some European countries … have refused to allow us to use those bases in a very serious emergency,” which “has created some unnecessary risks” for the United States.

Ultimately, though, removing American soldiers from European bases is “a decision for the president to make,” he concluded.

Tajani stressed the importance of maintaining a strong American presence in Europe. “For us, an American presence in Europe is important to strengthen NATO,” he said, adding that “a strong commitment from Europeans is also important from this point of view, something Europeans are already doing.”

The atmosphere during the visit was notably warmer than in recent weeks. Rubio spoke partly in Spanish during the meetings, joking that the language was “very similar” to Italian. He also said he had been trying to learn Italian himself, but that his subscription to language app Babbel had expired.

Tajani, in an effort to appease the U.S. administration, repeated Italy’s pledge of support for a naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz once a lasting ceasefire between the United States and Iran is in place. He will join Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to brief the Italian parliament next week on the matter — lawmakers must approve any deployment before Italian naval vessels can leave port.

The White House has been pressing European allies for stronger backing over the Iran conflict, while Meloni has described the war as “illegal.”

The prime minister needs to preserve the country’s strategic relationship with Washington while navigating growing domestic opposition to both the conflict and Trump himself, particularly as rising energy prices and inflation begin to weigh on Italian households.