On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed skepticism regarding the Vatican’s suitability as a venue for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, asserting that it wouldn’t be fitting for two predominantly Orthodox Christian nations to convene at the Holy See.
On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that Pope Leo XIV had indicated his readiness to facilitate talks during a phone conversation with her. However, the Vatican’s press office opted not to provide additional comments on the matter.
Pope Leo, who was elected earlier this month and is the first U.S.-born pope, suggested shortly after his election that the Vatican could serve as a mediator in global conflicts, but he did not specifically reference the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
While addressing attendees at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow on Friday, Lavrov downplayed the notion of the Vatican as the potential site for future discussions.
“Many are speculating about when and where this meeting might occur. At this moment, we have no concrete plans,” the foreign minister remarked.
The Kremlin previously indicated that there has not yet been a consensus on the location for the next round of talks.
“Imagine the Vatican as a site for negotiations. It would seem somewhat inappropriate for Orthodox nations to use a Catholic platform to address the underlying issues of the conflict in Ukraine,” Lavrov noted.
He added, “In these circumstances, I don’t think it would be proper for the Vatican to host delegations from two Orthodox nations.”
Earlier this month, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators engaged in their first direct discussions in over three years in Istanbul.
Lavrov also stated that Moscow would not permit Russian speakers in Ukraine to continue under what he referred to as a “junta” led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Allowing this situation to persist, he argued, would be a “crime,” further asserting that a straightforward resolution to the conflict would involve the international community pressuring Ukraine to revoke what he claimed are discriminatory laws against Russian speakers.
Kyiv has denied these allegations of discrimination.
Reiterating a common stance among Russian officials, Lavrov insisted that Ukraine should conduct presidential elections to pave the way for Moscow to sign a peace agreement with someone deemed legitimate.
Zelensky has rejected the notion that he lacks legitimacy. Elections could not take place when his five-year term was set to expire in May 2024 due to the ongoing martial law, which suspends normal electoral processes.
Both the Ukrainian president and Western leaders have argued that it is crucial to suspend standard political norms during wartime, and they contend that the Kremlin is not in a position to criticize, given Russia’s own tightly regulated political environment.
