Russia rejects Vatican as venue for Ukraine peace talks, calling it "vulgar"
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Moscow will not participate in negotiations with Ukraine at the Vatican.
Source: Lavrov in a comment at the conference Historical South Russian Lands. National Identity and Self-Determination of Peoples in Moscow on Friday 23 May, as reported by RBC
Details: Lavrov said Russia has "no plans" for when or where the next meeting between Ukrainian and Russian representatives will occur.
"Efforts should not be wasted on unrealistic options. Imagine the Vatican as a venue for negotiations – it’s a bit vulgar," he explained.
He further linked the issue to religion, noting that a meeting of representatives from "two Orthodox countries" on a "Catholic platform" would be "somewhat uncomfortable" for the Vatican itself.
Background:
- Pope Leo XIV proposed the Vatican as a venue for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, an idea supported by Kyiv, European states and the United States.
- However, Bloomberg reports citing Russian sources, the Kremlin is not planning a trip by Vladimir Putin to the Vatican or elsewhere for talks.
- Instead, Moscow is focused on technical-level negotiations that began last week in Türkiye’s Istanbul, which, like the Vatican, is not an Orthodox-majority country.
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