Ukrainian President Voldymi Zelenki will be attending Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration on Sunday, a top aide said.
The recently elected Pope will formally assume his role as head of the Catholic Church, serving as a mass in St. Peter’s Square, which is expected to attract large crowds and world leaders.
Zelensky said he would be happy to meet other leaders, as he did at Pope Francis’ funeral, when he held a meeting between President Donald Trump and European leaders.
The Vatican could be playing a greater role in the peace process between Ukraine and Russia after Pope Leo offered to host peace talks this week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the Vatican could become a potential venue, making the long-standing offer of Holy Sea after Pope Leo vowed to make “every effort” to end the war.
Speaking to a Roman reporter before meeting with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Ukraine’s Vatican Point Man, Rubio said the Vatican would discuss potential ways to “update after yesterday (Friday) and future updates.”
When asked if the Vatican could become a peace broker, Rubio replied. “I wouldn’t call it a broker, but that’s true. I think it’s a place where both sides are comfortable.”
At a meeting at the US Embassy in Rome, Rubio thanked Zuppi for the humanitarian role of the Vatican, citing in particular the swap of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children. Rubio “emphas emphasized the importance of continued cooperation under Pope Leo XIV’s new leadership,” said U.S. State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce.
Pope Leo, elected the first American pope in history on May 8th, began the convening of Pope Francis, who called for peace in Ukraine with his noon blessing on Sunday as Pope. He appealed to all sides to do everything possible to reach “real, just and lasting peace.”
Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said the failed negotiations in Istanbul this week were “tragic,” and repeated the Vatican’s offer to serve as the venue for in-person talks.
Asked specifically what such an offer entailed, Parolin said the Vatican would serve as the venue for in-person meetings on both sides.
Additional sources •AP
