Rubio Meets Pope Leo at Vatican

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the Vatican on Thursday to meet with Pope Leo in an effort to mend ties strained by critical comments from President Trump. The session follows tensions between the White House and the Vatican and occurs as the administration intensifies pressure on Cuba through fresh sanctions.

Rubio's visit was confirmed by multiple outlets on May 7, 2026. He is expected to discuss Cuba policy with the pontiff after a breakdown in relations between the Vatican and the White House. The secretary of state has taken a leading role in articulating the administration's stance toward Havana.

On May 1 the White House announced a new round of sanctions targeting entities and individuals complicit in alleged corruption and rights violations by the Cuban government and its security apparatus. The statement accused Cuba of aligning itself with countries and malign actors hostile to the United States and of hosting foreign adversary facilities focused on targeting sensitive national security information.

Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles, described Cuba as a "failed state" run by "incompetent communists" during a White House briefing this week. He stated that the island's economic model does not work and that its leaders cannot fix it, adding that the situation 90 miles from U.S. shores is an unacceptable status quo because it serves as friendly territory for adversaries.

President Trump has repeatedly signaled interest in deeper action against Cuba. " Trump had earlier told Fox News "Cuba’s next" following U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, saying the communist dictatorship's days were numbered.

" He wrote that the U.S. government was responding with new "illegal and abusive unilateral coercive measures" and accused Washington of decades of "economic warfare" against the island. " The sanctions follow U.S. actions in Venezuela that severed Cuba's access to imported fuel, according to foreign policy analyst Dr.