Russian ambassador to Vatican calls use of Holy See for talks with Ukraine difficult

Russian Ambassador to the Vatican Ivan Soltanovsky has said that it is difficult to use the Holy See as a platform for peace talks between Moscow and Kiev at the moment. According to the diplomat, mediation services are not in demand now, including due to the existence of direct contacts between the parties, but the Vatican continues to play an important role in the humanitarian sphere.

In his interview, according to TASS, the ambassador expressed his appreciation for the pontiff’s efforts in finding a solution to the Ukrainian crisis. «We appreciate the goodwill also shown by the new pontiff Leo XIV in terms of helping to find a long-term solution to the Ukrainian crisis. At the same time, mediation as such is not very much in demand, taking into account, among other things, direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine,» the agency quoted the diplomat as saying.

Speaking about the reasons preventing the organization of negotiations in the Vatican, Soltanovskyy pointed to «a number of logistical difficulties». At the same time, he emphasized that the Holy See retains its importance as an important channel for the exchange of information on humanitarian issues between the parties to the conflict.

Recall that on July 6, 2025 in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, met with the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV. During the meeting, among other things, the issue of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was also discussed.