Pope Leo XIV offers the Vatican as a venue for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia

The new Pope Leo XIV offers the Vatican as a negotiation platform between Ukraine and Russia after it became clear that the talks in Istanbul would not lead to the desired outcome.

This was stated by the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as reported by “European Truth,” quoting the Italian publication La Stampa.

Parolin called the result of the meetings in Istanbul “tragic.”

“It is all tragic because we hoped that a process would begin, maybe slow, but with a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Instead, we are back at the start,” said the Vatican Secretary of State on the sidelines of an event dedicated to the Istanbul summit.

“Now we will see what to do, but the situation is very complicated, dramatic,” Parolin added.

The Pope intends, he noted, to “provide the Vatican, the Holy See, if necessary, for holding a direct meeting between the two parties.”

Recall that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the recent actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin indicate his unwillingness for peace, and therefore the sanctions pressure on him must be intensified.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that a peaceful resolution of Russia’s war against Ukraine cannot happen without his meeting with the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported this view, expressing skepticism about the outcome of the Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul, scheduled for Friday.

Hrystyna Bondareva

EMPR

Tags: russia ukraine war world about ukraine