Moscow has welcomed the Vatican's initiative for peace talks, but claims that Kyiv does not want it
The Kremlin announced on Monday that it welcomed the offer from some countries, including Vatican, to provide a negotiating platform to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, but that Kyiv with its position makes it impossible. "Of course, we welcome such political will, but given the de facto situation we now have on the Ukrainian side, such platforms cannot be sought," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
10 days ago, in an interview with the Italian daily "La Stampa", Pope Francis reiterated that the Vatican is ready to do everything to mediate and end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than nine months ago, several countries, including Turkey, Israel and China, have offered to be potential mediators in the conflict.
Russia has accused Ukraine of obstructing talks by excluding President Vladimir Putin from involvement, and Kyiv opposes the idea of ceding any territory seized in what the West and Ukraine see as an imperial-style land grab.
Pope Francis often mentions Ukraine in his public addresses and has warned several times that the crisis threatens the use of nuclear weapons with global consequences that cannot be controlled. Last month, he directly pleaded with Putin for the first time to stop the "spiral of violence and death" in Ukraine.
The Vatican is offering to host the talks between Russia and Ukraine