Trump told with Meloni: if meeting with Putin is in Rome, it will be in Vatican – Sky News

President of the United States Donald Trump and the prime minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni had a telephone conversation on August 7, declares British TV channel Sky News, citing sources in the Italian government. According to them, if the meeting between Trump and the dictator Vladimir Putin will be held in Rome, it would be held in Vatican City.

Sky News believes that Trump and Maloney discussed the possibility of meeting with Putin in Rome next week, but does not refer to the aforementioned interlocutors in the Italian government in this statement.

Meanwhile, the Russian propaganda agency TASS, quoting its source, claims that Rome will not be a platform for negotiations.

Sky News' interlocutors in the Italian government responded with "no comment."

Media sources in the Vatican and the US Embassy in Rome also did not comment.

At the same time, a spokesman for the Italian diplomacy told the TV channel: "The Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani believes that regardless of how and where a genuine diplomatic dialogue between Russia and Ukraine takes place, Italy will be ready to sincerely and constructively support this process."

If Italy or the Vatican is chosen as the venue for Trump and Putin's talks, the question will arise about an arrest warrant for the Russian dictator issued by the International Criminal Court in 2023. Italy has ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC and must comply with its orders. However, in September 2024, during the visit of dictator was able to ignore this requirement.

Earlier, on the evening of August 7, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported about the conversation with Maloney.

"We coordinated joint next steps, including contacts with president Trump, and agreed that we would be in touch," the Ukrainian president said.

• That the meeting between Trump and Putin is to take place in Europe, and that Rome is one of the venues being discussed, citing its sources, claimed Fox News. Meanwhile, TASS propagandists claim that Europe is not being considered for the meeting.
• On August 7, ABC-News reported, citing a White House official, that a possible meeting between Putin and Trump has not yet been agreed upon, nor has the venue for such talks been determined, as previously stated by the Russian side.
• President of the United States denied the information that the dictator should meet with president Zelenskyy before negotiating with him.