Russia opposes talks with Ukraine at Vatican

US and European leaders hope that the Vatican will play a role in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has already said that Pope Leo XIV has expressed interest in the idea. However, the Kremlin, unlike the new pope, is not very interested in this, Bloomberg reported.

Officials in Russian Federation are not planning Putin's trip to the Vatican or anywhere else for talks. Instead, the Russians are focusing on the technical talks that took place last week in Istanbul. The Kremlin expects those talks to resume in Istanbul.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on May 22 that there is no agreement on holding the next round of talks at the Vatican. Discussions continue about the Vatican's role as a potential host or facilitator of the talks. The talks could take place as early as next week, although this depends on Russia's willingness to participate.

Sources said U.S. officials have been in touch with the Ukrainians to ensure the talks take place. They are signaling to their Russian counterparts that they would prefer to avoid the participation of such odious figures as Vladimir Medinsky.

Sergei Markov, a political consultant with close ties to the Kremlin, said Putin will not go to Italy, a NATO member state (in addition, Italy is a signatory to the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023), for security reasons, and Russia does not consider the Vatican a neutral party in the conflict.

The situation is further complicated by the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, led by Patriarch Kirill, an active supporter of Putin and the war in Ukraine. The Russian Orthodox Church opposes the participation of the Vatican in peace talks, considering it a historical rival in Ukraine, which, also, did not condemn the closure of the Moscow Patriarchate churches by the authorities.

Photo: zn.ua.