Finnish President Alexander Stubb spoke about the possibility of holding technical talks between Russia and Ukraine next week in the Vatican, Yle television reported.
“Now there are more mediators. Before, only the US played this role, now Europe is also involved“, Yle quoted Stubb as saying. According to the Finnish president, the technical-level talks will probably be held in the Vatican next week.
Earlier, the new Pope Leo XIV stated his readiness to facilitate the peace process in Ukraine by providing the Vatican territory as a platform for negotiations. This initiative was welcomed by US President Donald Trump.
On May 16, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul. On May 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump had a phone call that lasted more than two hours, during which they discussed primarily ways to overcome the conflict in Ukraine. Trump then called several European leaders, including Stubbs and Volodymyr Zelensky, to inform them of the outcome of his conversation with Putin.