US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Vatican could be a venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks, following Pope Leo XIV’s renewed offer to help end the war. The Holy See has long offered its services and venues to facilitate talks but was sidelined during the conflict.
Pope Leo XIV, who is history’s first American pope, had called for all sides to do whatever possible to reach “an authentic, just and lasting peace” in his first Sunday noon blessing as pope. He also appealed to warring sides to meet and negotiate. The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, repeated the Holy See’s offer to serve as a venue for direct talks, saying it could help facilitate a positive process toward a peaceful solution.
Rubio will discuss potential ways the Vatican can help, including the status of talks, updates after yesterday, and the path forward. The Vatican has previously facilitated diplomatic initiatives, such as talks between the US and Cuba in 2014 that resulted in the resumption of diplomatic relations.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/vatican-russia-ukraine-peace-pope-rubio-us-95f185bc251ac2dde54200f9495a0ad9