Vatican: We want to host negotiations of Ukraine and Russia

On Tuesday, the Vatican repeated the offer to host the peacekeeping negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, after Russia had already rejected the offer of Pope Lava XIV last Friday. A week ago about the household of the next round of negotiations to try to end the war between the two sides.

Last Friday, Russian diplomacy chief Sergei Lavrov rejected the idea that the Vatican was the next location of the negotiations, saying that it was embarrassed to host the majority Orthodox countries for the Holy See itself.

« But imagine the Vatican as a negotiation location. It would be a little inappropriate if the Orthodox countries use Catholic platform to discuss the removal of the fundamental causes of conflict. I do not think it would be very comfortable for the Vatican itself to host delegations from two Orthodox countries in these circumstances, » Lavrov said.

Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, however, has today repeated the offer of a new pope on the maintenance of meetings between the warring parties on the « neutral and protected location ».

At the same time, as the Italian agency Ansa reports, Cardinal Parolin has made it known that the Vatican is not necessarily seen as intermediary in negotiations and that mediation « must request both sides ».

Parolin adds that other locations are discussed to maintain negotiations, such as Geneva.

« It doesn’t matter where the negotiations, which we all hope will come to them, maintain. What is truly important is that these negotiations finally start because it is urgent that the war stops, » Parolin said.

For now, no date has been set to continue the conversation, although it is speculated on a meeting in the Vatican in mid -June.

During the war, which has been going on for more than three years, the Holy See under Pope Francis has repeatedly tried to mediate, but unsuccessfully.

Moreover, in March 2024, Ukraine, after Pope Francis called Ukraine to show « the courage of the white flag » and negotiate the interruption of the war with Russia, teased the Vatican to pay special attention to its role in World War II.

The Pope uttered a disputed word in an interview in which he said that when the foreign was not good, « he should have the courage to negotiate », to which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleb replied that a strong person in any dispute « stands on the side of the good, not trying to put them on the same basis and call it ‘negotiations' ».

Kuleba also pointed to the allegations that Pope Pius XII. He did not do anything against Nazi tyranny in World War II. « At the same time, when it comes to white flag, we know that Vatican strategy from the first half of the 20th century, » he wrote.

« I call (the Vatican) to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to support Ukraine and its people in their righteous struggle for their lives. »

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs then called on the papal nuncio to talk to express « disappointment » for Pope Francis’s statements.