Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed doubt about the possibility of holding talks between Russia and Ukraine in the Vatican. This was reported by LB.ua with reference to the Russian Interfax. "Many fantasize about when and where it [the meeting between Russia and Ukraine] will take place. We do not have any ideas at the moment, but I will be honest [...] I do not want people to waste their mental capacity on working out options that are not very realistic [...] It is somewhat unelegant when Orthodox countries discuss the elimination of root causes on a Catholic platform," Lavrov said.

In this context, he reiterated the Russian propaganda narrative that one of the reasons for the war is the supposed “attempt to destroy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.” “I believe it will be uncomfortable for the Vatican to receive delegations from two Orthodox countries under these circumstances,” he said.

On May 16, Pope Leo XIV offered the Vatican as a venue for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Following this, the Italian government confirmed on its official portal that the Vatican was willing to serve as a negotiating platform for resolving the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

Finnish President Alexander Stubb proposed that technical-level discussions on a ceasefire in Ukraine would take place in the Vatican. Bloomberg reported that U.S. and European leaders are considering the Vatican as a location for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. However, Moscow insists on holding these discussions in Istanbul and accuses Ukraine of delaying the peace process. (Quelle: www.risu.ua, 23. Mai 2025)