Vatican on peace plan for Ukraine: Cardinal Parolin emphasized the need for compromise

The Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, commented on the prospects for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, emphasizing the complexity of the upcoming negotiations and the inevitability of compromise. He also reiterated that the Vatican continues its active humanitarian work aimed at creating conditions for dialog.

According to Vatican News, commenting on Donald Trump’s proposed 28-point peace plan, the cardinal expressed hope for “the opening of avenues for dialog that will bring an end to this tragedy.” He made his statements on November 20, 2025 in Rome after Holy Mass in memory of the victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine.

Cardinal Parolin noted that finding agreement will not be easy. “It will be very difficult to find a compromise between the demands of one side and the demands of the other. Therefore, I believe that the path of negotiations will be very hard,” he emphasized. In his opinion, Europe should play a leading role in this process rather than remain on the sidelines, given its active involvement in supporting Ukraine.

Referring to the issue of possible territorial concessions, the secretary of state said that “it is too early” to talk about it, as it should be “the result of negotiations.” “Peace,” he said, “will only be achieved if both sides are satisfied with a compromise, because eventually a compromise will have to be reached.

The cardinal concluded by reiterating that the Holy See remains actively involved in humanitarian issues such as the exchange of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia. “We are ready to help in this matter, because we believe that, in addition to attention to suffering people, it also contributes to the creation of conditions that will make it possible to achieve peace, ” he said.

Recall, the Financial Times reported on a new draft peace plan for Ukraine, which was prepared jointly by representatives of the United States and Russia. According to the publication dated November 19, 2025, the 28-point document was handed over to the Kiev authorities and contains conditions concerning the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.