Pope Leo XIV has offered to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks at the Vatican following the collapse of a summit in Istanbul, where Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to appear. Calling the outcome “tragic,” Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See remains ready to facilitate direct talks to end the three-year war.
Pope Leo, elected just last week, has made peace in Ukraine a top priority, appealing to both leaders in public remarks and in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Let us meet, let us talk, let us negotiate,” the pope urged. In his first post on X as pontiff, he issued a call for global peace.
Working for peace requires acting justly. Every effort should be made to overcome global inequalities, which allow opulence and destitution to carve deep divides between continents, countries, and even within individual societies.
— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) May 16, 2025
The Vatican also confirmed it is exploring a potential meeting between Leo and U.S. Vice President JD Vance during Sunday’s papal inauguration, despite past online criticism from the pope’s account of Trump-era immigration policies championed by Vance.
