Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Kremlin: We welcome Vatican offer to mediate but Ukraine's stance prevents it

FILE PHOTO: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends an annual end-of-year news conference of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, Russia, December 23, 2021. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

The Kremlin said on Monday that it welcomed a Vatican offer to provide a negotiating platform to resolve the Ukraine conflict, but that Kyiv's position made this impossible.

"Of course, we welcome such political will, but given the de facto and de jure situation that we now have on the Ukrainian side, such platforms cannot be in demand," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Pope Francis reiterated 10 days ago that the Vatican was ready to do anything possible to mediate and put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in an interview with the Italian daily La Stampa.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine over nine months ago, several countries including Turkey, Israel and China have been touted as potential mediators in the conflict.

Russia has accused Ukraine of shutting down the prospect of talks by ruling out engagement with President Vladimir Putin, but Kyiv has balked at the idea of ceding any territory seized in what it and the West see as an imperial-style land grab.

Pope Francis frequently mentions Ukraine in his public appearances and has warned several times that the crisis risks triggering the use of nuclear weapons with uncontrollable global consequences.

Last month, he for the first time directly implored Putin to stop the "spiral of violence and death" in Ukraine.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.