MOSCOW: Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov solid doubt on Friday (Could 23) over the Vatican as a possible location for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, saying that the Holy See itself would discover it uncomfortable to host two primarily Orthodox Christian nations.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mentioned on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV had confirmed his willingness to host talks throughout a telephone name along with her. The Vatican press workplace declined to remark additional.
Pope Leo, the primary US-born pontiff, mentioned quickly after his election this month that the Vatican might act as a mediator in world conflicts, with out particularly mentioning Russia and Ukraine.
Lavrov, talking on the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, on Friday performed down the concept of the Vatican as the following venue and the Kremlin mentioned there was not yet any agreement on where a new round of talks would take place.
“Many individuals are fantasising about when and the place it (the assembly) will happen. We haven’t any concepts proper now,” mentioned Lavrov.
“However think about the Vatican as a venue for negotiations. It will be a bit inelegant for Orthodox international locations to make use of a Catholic platform to debate points on the right way to take away the basis causes (of the battle).
“I feel it could not be very comfy for the Vatican itself to host delegations from two Orthodox international locations in these circumstances,” Lavrov added.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held their first direct talks in additional than three years earlier this month in Istanbul.
