Kyiv and allies welcome Pope Leo's Vatican peace talks offer
US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and several of Kyiv's European allies — including Paris and Berlin — gave a positive response May 19 to Pope Leo XIV's offer to host negotiations between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican, according to Italy's prime minister. May 30, 2025
Pope Leo XIV receives a gift from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the Vatican May 18, 2025. (CNS/Vatican Media)
VATICAN: US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and several of Kyiv's European allies — including Paris and Berlin — gave a positive response May 19 to Pope Leo XIV's offer to host negotiations between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican, according to Italy's prime minister. President Trump, President Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a joint phone call following a separate conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, 'the Holy Father's willingness to host peace talks at the Vatican was viewed positively,' Meloni said in a statement. The call, she added, aimed 'to work toward the immediate opening of negotiations between the parties, in hopes of securing a cease-fire as soon as possible and laying the groundwork for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.' In remarks to representatives of Eastern Christian churches recently, Pope Leo XIV offered to mediate global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine. 'The Holy See is available for enemies to meet and look each other in the eye, so that nations may regain hope and the dignity that belongs to them — the dignity of peace,' he said. Referencing the many ongoing conflicts around the world — 'from the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray,' in Ethiopia, 'and to the Caucasus' — Pope Leo lamented the violence and called for efforts toward peace. 'I will do everything I can to help peace take root,' he vowed. Over the weekend, he also received US Vice President JD Vance in a private audience.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, confirmed the pope's willingness to host a 'direct meeting' between Ukrainian and Russian leaders, according to media reports. --LCI (https:// international.la-croix.com/)
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