Vatican offers holy see for Ukraine-Russia peace talks
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has informed the public that the Pope is ready to offer the Holy See as a venue for a meeting between representatives of Ukraine and Russia. "We need to see what can be done," he stated.
There was a time when it seemed possible for Putin and Zelensky to hold personal peace talks in Turkey. The President of Ukraine was ready for such a meeting, but the Russian leader chose not to go to Istanbul.
Now, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has announced that Pope Leo XIV "intends to eventually offer the Vatican, the Holy See, for a direct meeting of both parties." When asked by journalists about his view on attempts at negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and the absence of a direct meeting between 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 prepared for a high-level meeting, but Putin probably lacked the courage to attend. Downplaying this shows that the Russians are not taking these talks seriously," she added.
