Russia casts doubt over Vatican as possible venue for its talks with Ukraine
Russia casts doubt over Vatican as possible venue for its talks with Ukraine
MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cast doubt on Friday over the Vatican as a potential location for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, saying that the Holy See itself would find it uncomfortable to host two mainly Orthodox Christian nations.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV had confirmed his willingness to host talks during a phone call with her. The Vatican press office declined to comment further.
Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, said soon after his election this month that the Vatican could act as a mediator in global conflicts, without specifically mentioning Russia and Ukraine.
Lavrov, speaking at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, on Friday played down the idea of the Vatican as the next venue and the Kremlin said there was not yet any agreement on where a new round of talks would take place.
"Many people are fantasising about when and where it (the meeting) will take place. We don't have any ideas right now," said Lavrov.
"But imagine the Vatican as a venue for negotiations. 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 conflict).
"I think it would not be very comfortable for the Vatican itself to host delegations from two Orthodox countries in these circumstances," Lavrov added.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held their first direct talks in more than three years earlier this month in Istanbul.
DISCRIMINATION
Lavrov also said that Moscow would not allow Russian-speakers in Ukraine to remain under the rule of what he called a "junta" led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
It would be a "crime" for Russia to allow this to happen, he said, adding that the simplest way to settle the conflict would be for the international community to demand that Ukraine cancel what he said were laws discriminating against Russian-speakers.
Kyiv denies any such discrimination.
Lavrov reiterated an earlier Russian idea that it would be good if presidential elections were held in Ukraine so that Moscow could sign an eventual peace deal with someone widely regarded as legitimate.
Zelenskiy has dismissed the Russian-backed idea that he is not legitimate as propaganda. Elections were not held when his five-year term in office technically expired in May 2024 because Ukraine remained - and remains - under martial law, which suspends the normal election cycle.
Zelenskiy and the West say it is necessary to suspend normal political rules at a time of war and that the Kremlin, given Russia's own tightly-controlled political system, is in no position to criticise. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Indonesian government may install permanent stairlift at Borobudur Temple: Minister
A temporary stairlift was installed ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit on May 29, which caused a heated debate in Indonesia. PHOTO: REUTERS JAKARTA - The government is still finalising a plan to install a permanent stairlift at Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, to facilitate visitors with special needs to access the World Heritage Site, Culture Minister Fadli Zon said on June 5. A stairlift is a device designed to bring people up and down a stairway. A temporary stairlift was installed ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit on May 29, which caused a heated debate in Indonesia. 'It was just a trial, so actually it has been planned for quite some time,' Mr Fadli said on June 5, as quoted by Antara news agency. 'This is part of an adaptation for inclusivity especially for those who need it, the seniors. There are bhikkhu (monks), senior visitors or disabled people.' Mr Fadli said the stairlift would be permanent, adding that the temporary stairlift would be dismantled and replaced with a better structure. 'We will communicate the needs with those who have the expertise to probably make a tailor-made stairlift,' he said. 'The stairlift will not be destructive because it (would) just (be) attached to the railings.' Previously, the government insisted the stairlift was installed based on a request from the French government so that Mr Macron could ascend Borobudur more quickly and easily. Despite all the preparations, Mr Macron opted to ascend Borobudur on foot, reported on May 29. 'Borobudur Temple is about as high as a 12-storey building and the French president had limited time in his state visit,' Presidential Communication Office head Hasan Nasbi said on May 26, ahead of Mr Macron's visit. However, Mr Hasan said there were then suggestions for the stairlift to be made permanent at the temple. 'Initially the stairlift was temporary but then there were suggestions from several groups, such as the Buddhist community and cultural observers, for the stairlift to be made permanent,' he said on May 28, as quoted by Mr Hasan said the suggestion would make the temple from the 8th century more inclusive, adding that several other World Heritage Sites already provided access for visitors with special needs. 'There is a lift at the Acropolis in Athens as well as at several historical sites in Vietnam,' he said. However, Mr Hasan said the final decision would lie with the related ministry, the Cultural Heritage Council and Borobudur Temple area management. Whether the stairlift would be temporary or permanent would be decided through an official meeting and after considerations by the stakeholders. The case became viral after a video was widely circulated on social media, such as Facebook and X, showing the installation of metal plates and wooden planks on Borobudur Temple's stairs to make way for the lift. Netizens highlighted the activities, saying the stairlift was installed to allow President Prabowo Subianto to reach the summit, without realizing that Mr Prabowo was scheduled to accompany Mr Macron in a visit to the world's largest Buddhist temple. Other netizens, however, welcomed the installation of such mobility facilities, saying other World Heritage Sites had already installed lifts, escalators or ramps to allow disabled people in wheelchairs to also visit and enjoy the sites as an inclusivity drive. Another video shows similar mobility facilities already installed at the Acropolis in Athens, the Coliseum in Rome and the Forbidden City in Beijing. THE JAKARTA POST/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
6 killed, 80 wounded in intense Russian air attacks on Ukraine, World News
KYIV - Russia launched an intense missile and drone barrage at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the early hours of Friday (June 6), killing at least six people, Ukrainian officials said, as powerful explosions reverberated across the country. The attacks followed a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin, conveyed via US President Donald Trump, that the Kremlin would hit back after Ukrainian drones destroyed several strategic bomber aircraft in attacks deep inside Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said three emergency responders were killed in the missile and drone salvo against the capital. Two died in an attack on the northern city of Chernihiv and at least one more in the northwestern city of Lutsk. "Those killed in Kyiv were rescue workers who arrived at the scene of an initial strike and, unfortunately, were killed in a repeat Russian strike," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing on X, said Russia had "'responded' to its destroyed aircraft... by attacking civilians in Ukraine.... Multi-storey buildings hit. Energy infrastructure damaged." Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had carried out the strike on military and military-related targets in response to what it called Ukrainian "terrorist acts" against Russia. "They gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, when asked about how Ukraine's earlier drone strikes had affected the conflict. Zelenskiy said 80 people nationwide had been injured in the attacks, which also struck several other towns and cities. He said residents could still be trapped under rubble. In Chernihiv, the national emergency services said two bodies were recovered from the rubble of a wrecked industrial enterprise. In Lutsk, the body of a man was found in the ruins of an apartment block, while emergency crews kept searching for his wife. Thirty people were hurt in the city, where educational institutions and a government building were also hit. Russian forces also struck industrial facilities and infrastructure in the western city of Ternopil, leaving parts of it without power, Mayor Serhii Nadal said. The regional administration said the attack had injured 10 people and asked residents to temporarily stay inside due to a high concentration of toxic substances in the air after a fire. The air force said Russia had used 407 drones, one of the largest numbers recorded in a single attack. It said 45 cruise and ballistic missiles were also fired. Attacks hit Kyiv transport system Kyiv's metro transport system was disrupted by a Russian strike that hit and damaged tracks between stations, the military administration said. The state rail company said it was also diverting some trains due to rail damage outside the city. Reuters witnesses reported a series of booming explosions powerful enough to rattle windows far from the impact sites. Some Kyiv residents sought shelter in metro stations, or in underground car parks. In the capital's Solomianskyi district, a Russian drone slammed into the side of an apartment building, leaving a gaping hole and burn marks, a Reuters photographer at the scene said. Falling concrete blocks from the building crushed cars parked below. Two police investigators were examining what appeared to be the drone's engine. Earlier in the night, Reuters reporters heard the sound of Russian kamikaze drones buzzing in the sky, accompanied by the sounds of outgoing fire from Ukrainian anti-aircraft batteries. Zelenskiy called for concerted pressure on Russia. "If someone is not applying pressure and is giving the war more time to take lives - that is complicity and accountability. We must act decisively," he wrote on X. The Ukrainian military said it had launched a pre-emptive strike overnight on the Engels and Dyagilevo airfields in the Russian regions of Saratov and Ryazan, in addition to striking at least three fuel reservoirs. In one of the most audacious attacks of the three-year-old war between Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian spies last weekend destroyed some of Russia's strategic bomber aircraft on the ground using quadrocopter drones hidden in wooden sheds. After a phone conversation with Putin on Wednesday, Trump said the Kremlin was planning an unspecified response to the Ukrainian attack on the Russian air bases. [[nid:718785]]
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Japan trade negotiator Akazawa says he made progress in US tariff talks
The latest round of talks may be the last in-person meeting between Japanese and US officials before the upcoming Group of Seven leaders summit. PHOTO: REUTERS Japan trade negotiator Akazawa says he made progress in US tariff talks TOKYO - Japan had made some progress in a fifth round of trade talks with US officials aimed at ending tariffs that are hurting Japan's economy, Tokyo's chief tariff negotiator said. 'Tariffs have already been imposed on autos, auto parts, steel and aluminium, and some of them have doubled to 50 per cent along with 10 per cent general tariff. These are causing daily losses to Japan's economy,' Mr Ryosei Akazawa, said in Washington on June 6 after talks with officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Mr Akazawa declined to say what progress they had made. The latest round of talks may be the last in-person meeting between senior Japanese and US officials before the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders summit that starts on June 15, where US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Japan also faces a 24 per cent tariff rate starting in July unless it can negotiate a deal with Washington. 'We want an agreement as soon as possible. The G-7 summit is on our radar, and if our leaders meet, we want to show what progress has been made,' Mr Akazawa said. 'Still we must balance urgency with a need to guard our national interests,' he added. In May, Japan's trade negotiator said US defence equipment purchases, shipbuilding technology collaboration, a revision of automobile import standards and an increase in agricultural imports could be bargaining chips in tariff talks. In a bid to reach an agreement with the US, Japan is also proposing a mechanism to reduce the auto tariff rate based on how much countries contribute to the US auto industry, the Asahi newspaper reported on June 6. Mr Akazawa said Japan's position has not changed and that the tariffs are not acceptable. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
