Pope Leo XIV has expressed his willingness to offer the Vatican as a venue for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, amid stalled progress in the talks held in Istanbul.
This was announced by the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as reported by the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Parolin described the outcome of the Istanbul meetings as “tragic.”
This is all tragic because we had hoped for the start of a process — perhaps a slow one — but one that could lead to a peaceful resolution. Instead, we are back at the beginning, he said during an event dedicated to the Istanbul summit.
He emphasized that the situation remains extremely difficult and dramatic, and stressed that the Vatican is ready to act as a mediator:
If necessary, the Pope is prepared to offer the Holy See as a venue for direct dialogue between the two sides.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that a resolution to the conflict is not possible without his personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported this view, expressing skepticism about the effectiveness of the upcoming Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul.
