Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that the Winter Olympics -- starting in less than a week's time in northern Italy -- were an opportunity to "rekindle hope for a world at peace".

The American-born pontiff, after wishing the best to athletes and organisers in remarks after the Angelus prayer, noted that the modern Olympic Games were founded on a credo of international peace and "fraternity".

With the Milan-Cortina Games, he expressed hope that "all those who care about peace among peoples and are in positions of authority will take this opportunity to make concrete gestures of detente and dialogue".

The Winter Olympics will begin on Friday with its opening ceremony, and run to February 22, followed by the Winter Paralympics from March 6 to 15.

In his remarks, the pope also stressed "greatly troubling news regarding an increase in tensions between Cuba and the United States of America".

He urged the two countries to engage in "sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people".

US President Donald Trump has been ramping up his threats against Cuba, following his deployment of the military in early January to attack Caracas and grab Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro.

On Thursday, Trump issued an executive order threatening extra tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, whose government he accused of aligning with "numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors".