Pope Leo XIV Offers Vatican as Venue for Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks

Leo XIV wants to try what Trump failed to achieve – to create peace between Moscow and Kyyiv. His dilemma: as a mediator, he must be neutral. But as Pope, he must not remain silent about Russian war crimes.

Leo XIV, the first American pope, has somehow overshadowed in Russia the popularity of the American emperor, acting in some way as an alternative in the image of the West "anglosassone" so reproached by the Kremlin. Moreover, today the Russian Church is breaking with almost all the other Orthodox Churches, starting from the patriarchate of Constantinople, while the dialogue with Rome has never been interrupted,

EU bishops say Pope Leo XIV is ‘ready to listen’ to concerns about war, populism

The flag of the European Union. / Credit: U. J. Alexander/Shutterstock Vatican City, May 23, 2025 / 12:25 pm (CNA). The leadership of the European bishops’ conference said Pope Leo XIV did not speak as much as he was “welcoming, available, and ... [...]

EU bishops say Leo XIV is ‘ready to listen’ to concerns about war, populism

The leadership of the European bishops’ conference said Pope Leo XIV was “welcoming, available, and ready to listen” to their concerns during a meeting at the Vatican.

Some argue that a protected dialogue of aggressor and attack could take place behind the Vatican walls. However, reservations remain.

According to Bloomberg sources, the President of the Russian Federation will not go to the Vatican for "security reasons", and Moscow prefers to focus on technical negotiations in Istanbul format.