Vatican offers neutral ground for Ukraine-Russia peace talks
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin informed that the pope is ready to offer the Holy See as a meeting place between representatives of Ukraine and Russia. "We need to see what can be done," he stated.
For a while, it seemed possible that Putin and Zelensky might have personal peace talks in Turkey. The President of Ukraine was ready for such a meeting, but the Russian leader did not decide to come to Istanbul.
Now Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin announced that Pope Leo XIV "intends to eventually offer the Vatican, the Holy See, for a direct meeting of both sides." Asked by journalists about his opinion on attempts at negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and the absence of a direct meeting of the leaders of these countries in Istanbul, he stated that the situation is "very difficult, dramatic."
"We need to see what can be done," he added.
The EU's chief diplomat on Putin's absence in Istanbul
The EU's Chief Diplomat Kaja Kallas told journalists that "it is obvious that Russia does not want peace." She referred to the fact that Vladimir Putin did not attend the peace negotiations in Istanbul.
"Everyone was ready for a high-level meeting, but Putin probably did not dare to come. Downplaying this shows that the Russians are not taking these talks seriously," she added.
