Kremlin wary of Vatican talks amid sanctions and orthodoxy
The Kremlin authorities are unenthusiastic about the prospect of peace talks being held in the Vatican. Sergey Lavrov argued that this is due to Russia's Orthodox roots. However, it now appears that the real reason may be far more straightforward.
"The Pope intends to make the Vatican, the Holy See, available for a direct meeting between the two sides," announced the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Donald Trump, after talks with Putin, suggested that the Vatican could play a key role in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The Russians are less enthusiastic about Leon XIV's idea. "It would be a bit inelegant for Orthodox countries to use a Catholic platform to discuss issues on how to remove the root causes [of the war in Ukraine]," stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Russia rejects the Vatican. Sanctions are one of the reasons
According to Reuters, Russia also rejects the Vatican due to EU sanctions that prohibit many Kremlin representatives from entering the European Union.
The agency notes that although the Vatican itself is not an EU member, it is surrounded by Italy, which cannot be bypassed when travelling to the state governed by the Pope. For this reason, physically reaching the potential peace talks location could prove difficult for a Russian delegation.
Italy is a NATO member, supports Ukraine, and has repeatedly imposed sanctions against Russia.
Furthermore, according to one of Reuters' sources, the Vatican is not perceived in Russia as a serious force capable of resolving the conflict with Ukraine.
