The Vatican on Tuesday offered again to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine but the Russians are not willing to go, according to Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine.
The Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin reiterated an offer made by Pope Leo XIV to hold meetings between the warring countries in a "neutral, protected venue."
At the same time, according to a report by the Italian news agency ANSA, the cardinal made it clear that the Vatican did not necessarily see itself as a mediator in the talks, and that any mediation "must be requested by the parties."
Parolin pointed out that other locations such as Geneva were also under discussion.
"It is not important where the negotiations between Russians and Ukrainians - negotiations we all hope for - will take place. What truly matters is that these negotiations finally begin, because it is urgent to stop the war," he said.
So far, there is no date for new talks, though it has been suggested there could be a meeting in the Vatican in mid-June.
During the war, which has now been ongoing for more than three years, the Holy See under the late pope Francis repeatedly attempted to mediate, but without much success.
in an interview Tuesday on Fox News Channel, Kellogg said the Russians don't want to go to the Vatican.
"We would have liked to have it at the Vatican and we were pretty set to do something like that, but the Russians didn't want to go there, to the Vatican, so I think Geneva may be the next stop," Kellogg said.
U.S. President Donald Trump had said last week after speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Vatican had expressed interest in hosting the negotiations, though there was no confirmation that any talks had been scheduled.
Kellogg also said Russia has yet to deliver a memorandum that Putin said Moscow would work on with Ukraine to draft a framework for a possible future peace treaty.
