The Vatican will not mediate in a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters before a meeting in Rome with the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the State Department reported.
"This is definitely a place where I think both sides would feel comfortable coming. So we are grateful for their long-term efforts not only to mediate in achieving peace, but also to exchange prisoners“, said the head of US diplomacy.
„Obviously, there are a number of countries that have also offered this. We will talk about this, the state of the negotiations, the clarifications after yesterday and how to move forward,“ the Secretary of State added.
According to the head of the press service of the US State Department, Tammy Bruce, Rubio held a meeting, including with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. They discussed the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Earlier, Pope Leo XIV said that the Holy See is ready to help find ways out of the crisis and called on the parties to engage in direct dialogue.