Pope Leo XIV offers Vatican as venue for talks between Ukraine and Russia
Source: Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as quoted by the Italian newspaper La Stampa, European Pravda reports
Details: Parolin called the outcome of the meetings in Istanbul "tragic".
"It's all tragic because we hoped that a process would begin, perhaps slowly, but with a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Instead, we are back to square one," the Vatican's secretary of state said on the sidelines of an event dedicated to the Istanbul summit.
"Now we will see what to do, but the situation is very difficult, dramatic," Parolin added.
The Pope intends, he said, "if necessary, to provide the Vatican, the Holy See, for a direct meeting between the two sides".
Background:
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the recent actions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin show his unwillingness to make peace, so it is necessary to increase sanctions pressure on him.
On Thursday, Trump said that a peaceful settlement of Russia's war against Ukraine cannot take place without a meeting between him and the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported this view, expressing scepticism about the
outcome of the Russo-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul on 16 May.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Trump said he'd end Ukraine war in 24 hours. Now his patience with Putin is wearing thin.
Only last month the American president called Russia's Vladimir Putin 'very kind.' Now Donald Trump says Putin's words are 'meaningless.' President Donald Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine within his first 24 hours in office. But now, more than 4,000 hours in, Trump's patience with Vladimir Putin, whom the U.S. president only last month called "very kind," appears to be wearing thin. Relations have hit a wall as Russia's leader has pushed forward with intensifying drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities while appearing to repeatedly rebuff Trump's attempts to broker a ceasefire. "We get a lot of b**shit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump told reporters on July 9, summing up what Ukrainians and other seasoned Russia watchers have been saying for two decades. "He's very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless." Here's how the Trump-Putin geopolitical love affair turned sour. Trump and Putin got off to a good start Trump initiated direct talks with Putin shortly after taking office, saying − much to Putin's delight − that he was effectively ready to let Russia keep the Ukrainian territory it had already taken when Moscow invaded Kyiv in February 2022. Trump also said that Ukraine's Crimea region, which Putin seized in 2014, "will stay with Russia." At the same time, Trump said he was not interested in spending more on Ukraine's defense, an issue that exploded out into the open when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House in February. "You don't have the cards right now," Trump told Zelensky in remarks that were carried live on TV and appeared to belittle Ukraine's leader. Trump said Putin had been the victim of a "phony" American "witch hunt." He said Ukraine would need to make concessions and started pressing Kyiv to sign an agreement over its mineral wealth. 'My favorite president': Donald Trump and the art of world leader bromances Putin escalates Ukraine attacks American intelligence agencies and officials have for years struggled to understand Putin's precise foreign policy goals. In Ukraine, their best guess is he wants to weaken it as much as possible as part of an effort to keep it out of the NATO military alliance and retain or restore Russia's cultural and economic sphere of influence around its borders. That means grabbing Ukraine's land and wearing down the morale of its people and communities through wave after wave of drone and missile attacks that have killed thousands of civilians, according to the United Nations. War crimes in Ukraine: Kyiv's push for swift justice What Putin has made clear, at least in the timeframe that he's renewed talks with the White House, is that he's still intent on pounding Ukraine to deadly effect. In fact, according to an analysis by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, Russia's drone and missile strikes on Ukraine have increased following Trump's January inauguration. It has appeared to take Trump some time to publicly acknowledge this. But he did eventually, saying in April, "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!" One Ukrainian who lives in Kyiv said in a WhatsApp message that he, his wife and kids are "going completely mad" with having to repeatedly run to bomb shelters, metro stations and underground parking garages to seek shelter at a rate they have not had to do since the start of the 3.5-year-old war. An evolving policy to meet an evolving relationship Trump has spent years praising and appearing to carefully avoid criticizing Putin. The origins of this admiration are not well understood. Both men say they first met face-to-face on the sidelines of a 2017 international summit in Germany during Trump's first term. But Trump has also gone on the record saying that he met Putin for the first time in 2013 on a visit to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant. Whatever the case, five months ago, Trump said that he knows Putin "very well" and believes he "wants peace" in Ukraine. Still, two rounds of Trump-brokered, indirect ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia have come to nothing. And after multiple phone calls with Putin since taking office, Trump now appears to be shifting his thinking − and actions − on Putin and Russia. After a brief pause, he's ordered the Pentagon to restart shipping weapons to Ukraine. The White House is ramping up pressure on European countries to pitch in more to support the air defense supplies that Ukraine most needs. Some countries have complied in recent days. Momentum is building for bipartisan legislation that would impose severe sanctions on Russia − amounting to a 500% tariff − on any country that buys, sells or supplies Russian oil, gas and petroleum if Russia refuses to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said that the bill could be ready for a vote as soon as this month. 'We need a Russia sanctions bill that puts some real constraints on the ability of the president to play on again, off again, with Vladimir Putin,' Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said in an interview. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on July 10 in Malaysia that Moscow had presented a "new concept" that could open the door to peace during a meeting he had with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Rubio said they shared some ideas and information that he would take back to Trump. Trump, for his part, has teased a "major" statement on Russia early next week. Is the bromance finally over? Did it ever really start? Putin is a former KGB officer who has long trafficked in misinformation, disinformation, propaganda and outright lies. Trump often makes false or misleading claims in his speeches and social media posts. 'Trump," former U.S. envoy to Ukraine Bill Taylor said in a media appearance this week, "has now figured it out that Putin is the problem."
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
NATO Ally Bordering Russia Withdraws From International Weapons Treaty
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Finland has formally notified the United Nations (U.N.) of its intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of antipersonnel land mines, according to Reuters—a move that several European allies have made in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine. Newsweek reached out to NATO via email outside of normal business hours on Friday night for comment. Why It Matters The move by Finland, a country sharing an 830-mile border with Russia, highlights growing apprehension in Eastern Europe due to the heightened threat of Russian invasion. Finland joined NATO after decades of holding a position of neutrality between the alliance and Russia, but changed course following the invasion of Ukraine. In a joint statement earlier this year, Poland and the Baltic defense ministers said their decision would send "a clear message: Our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom." The Ottawa Convention, which took effect in 1999, requires signatory states to ban the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines. Finland's withdrawal was announced as regional partners—including Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—also indicated their exit amid fears of Russia's military actions following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Last year, international watchdog Landmine Monitor reported that Russia and other countries had actively used land mines in recent conflicts. At least 5,757 people were killed or wounded by the mines and unexploded ordnance in the past year, most of whom were civilians—including significant numbers of children. Finnish Prime Minister Antti Petteri Orpo is pictured in Brussels on June 26. Finnish Prime Minister Antti Petteri Orpo is pictured in Brussels on June 26. Martin Bertrand/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Finland's Parliament voted for withdrawal in June and notified U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres of its intent in July, in accordance with treaty provisions, according to Reuters. Guterres, in a statement to the fifth review of the Mine Ban Treaty, called on states and signatories to "meet their obligations and ensure compliance to the convention, while addressing humanitarian and developmental impacts through financial and technical support." Pope Francis, who died in April, had also joined calls for nations to end production and use of land mines, warning of their long-term impact on civilians. This regional trend gathered pace in March, when Poland and the Baltic states declared their intention to leave the Ottawa Convention due to perceived new threats along NATO's eastern flank. Poland has proposed turning its border with Russia into a minefield and has begun preparations to produce antipersonnel mines domestically. Eastern European leaders argue that remaining in the convention is no longer tenable while facing adversaries unconstrained by the treaty. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently signed a decree to withdraw from the treaty as well, citing Russian "armed aggression" as forcing a political reassessment. What People Are Saying Polish and Baltic defense ministers in a joint statement issued in March: "With this decision, we are sending a clear message: Our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom." Guterres in December said: "I call on states parties to meet their obligations and ensure compliance to the convention, while addressing humanitarian and developmental impacts through financial and technical support. "I also encourage all states that have not yet acceded to the convention to join the 164 that have done so. A world without antipersonnel mines is not just possible. It is within reach." What Happens Next Finland will fully terminate its obligations under the Ottawa Convention after the requisite waiting period. The international community will be monitoring how these policy changes affect military postures across NATO's eastern flank as the war in Ukraine continues. This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gaza hostage survivors Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen announce engagement
In the months leading up to their engagement, the couple reunited after Troufanov was released from captivity after 498 days held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Freed Gaza hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen, who were in a relationship prior to their abduction, announced their engagement on Wednesday. The couple was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 while they were visiting Troufanov's family. Troufanov's father, Vitaly, was murdered, while Sasha was kidnapped alongside his mother, Yelena, Cohen, and his grandmother, Irena Tati. The three women were released during the November 2023 ceasefire, after 54-55 days of war. Russian President Vladimir Putin is largely credited with intervening for their return due to the family's dual Russian-Israeli citizenship. In the months leading up to their engagement, the couple reunited after Troufanov was released from captivity after 498 days held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The couple also traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin following his release. At Sheba Medical Center, following Troufanov's February 15 release from captivity, now-fiancée Sapir Cohen told local media, 'He prayed I'd find another man, thinking he'd never return. But I waited.'
