Ukraine still sees the Vatican as a platform for negotiations. Moscow is of a different opinion
Ukraine still considers the Vatican as a platform for negotiations with Russia. This was stated to journalists by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, reports Interfax-Ukraine .
Sibiga was asked whether the Vatican is still considered as a potential venue for a technical meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations.
"For us, yes. We are personally grateful to Pope Leo XIV for this offer. We welcome it," he said .
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hinted that Moscow refuses to negotiate in the Vatican because, in his words, it is "inelegant.".
"I want to say that we shouldn't waste our mental capacity on working out options that are not very realistic. Imagine the Vatican as a venue for negotiations, it's a bit inelegant," he explained his opinion .
- on May 16, 2025, trilateral talks between the delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and Turkey took place in Istanbul.
- On the same day, a meeting of the delegations of Ukraine and Russia with the participation of Turkey took place. These are the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022.
- On May 16, amid the "failed" talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, Pope Leo XIV suggested the Vatican as a negotiation platform for the next meeting between the two countries.
