New Pope offers Vatican as a venue for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia – after talks in Istanbul appeared to break down after just an hour and a half

By MARK NICOL

Published: 22:06 BST, 16 May 2025 | Updated: 22:16 BST, 16 May 2025

Pope Leo has offered the Vatican as a venue for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

The new pontiff made the gesture to help solve the ‘very difficult, dramatic situation’.

A spokesman for the leader of the Catholic Church said he was hopeful he could provide an ‘opening for peace’.

His Holiness’s offer yesterday came as Russia and Ukraine each agreed to release 1,000 prisoners before the negotiations in Istanbul appeared to break down after an hour and a half.

No progress was made towards a ceasefire in what were the first direct talks between the warring parties for three years.

Later in the day Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Pope Leo XIV ‘intends to eventually offer the Vatican, the Holy See, for a direct meeting of both parties’. 

He added: ‘It is tragic because we hoped that a process could be started, perhaps slow but with a peaceful solution to the conflict. Instead, we are back at the beginning.’

But Cardinal Parolin ruled out a Papal visit to Ukraine, saying it was is ‘premature’ after Volodymyr Zelensky had invited Leo to Kyiv during a phone call this week.

Pope Leo has offered the Vatican as a venue for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) and President Donald Trump (left) talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on April 26, 2025

Bridges have already been built at the Vatican between Donald Trump and Ukraine’s president, who had face-to-face talks on the day of Pope Francis’s funeral last month. It was their first meeting after the acrimonious encounter in the Oval Office in February.

Yesterday’s talks at the Dolmabahce Palace had been overshadowed by the drama over whether Vladimir Putin would attend.

Despite initially proposing them, he stayed away from Istanbul, leaving lower-level officials to hold discussions on his behalf. That move was described as ‘a big mistake’ by Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.

Mr Zelensky had travelled to Turkey but stayed away from Istanbul when it was apparent the Russian president would not attend.

According to sources close to the negotiations the chasm between the warring parties was apparent within minutes of the talks starting. Russia has insisted a ceasefire cannot be discussed until after the issues behind the conflict are addressed.

And yesterday Ukraine described Russian demands before it will consider a truce as ‘non-starters’ and ‘detached from reality’.

These include an end to Western military support for its neighbour and Ukrainian troops withdrawing from four provinces in the east of the country which are partially occupied by Russian forces.

In response to Ukraine’s refusal to meet the latter demand, a Russian official apparently threatened: ‘Next time it will be five regions.’

The talks were mediated by Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan, who appealed for a ceasefire ‘as soon as possible’.

Keir Starmer said: ‘I think we need to be really clear in putting the pressure on for a ceasefire. We need to make sure that Putin comes to the table.’

President Zelensky, who has repeatedly claimed Mr Putin ‘is not serious about peace’, has called for Russia to be hit with sanctions on its banking and energy sectors should it continue to hold up peace talks.

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New Pope offers Vatican as a venue for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia – after talks in Istanbul appeared to break down after just an hour and a half

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