Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, has offered to mediate between Russian and Ukrainian leaders at the Vatican in an effort to establish peace amid the ongoing conflict. This announcement comes after Russian President Putin avoided discussions in Turkey earlier this week, as noted by a senior Catholic official on Friday.
The Pope “is open to facilitating the meetings at the Vatican, if needed,” stated Cardinal Peter Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, during a press conference in Rome. He emphasized the Vatican’s willingness to host these discussions.
In his first Sunday blessing since taking over from the late Pope Francis, Pope Leo—previously Cardinal Robert Prevost—called for peace in Ukraine, directing his remarks to global leaders and reiterating the urgent call for “Never Again War.”
Parolin expressed disappointment over the lack of progress toward a ceasefire in Istanbul, describing it as a “tragedy.” He remarked, “We hoped to see a gradual, positive movement toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Now, we’re back at square one. It’s a very challenging situation, and we’ll need to figure out our next steps.”
This week, President Trump, speaking from Qatar, stated he was not surprised by Putin’s reluctance to engage in direct talks, saying, “I thought, ‘If I’m not going, why would he?'” Trump reflected on the diplomatic interruptions in the Middle East and expressed his own willingness to participate in discussions.
