Zelenskyy to attend inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will beryllium attending Sunday's inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, a apical adjutant has said.

The precocious elected pope will formally return connected his domiciled arsenic caput of nan Catholic Church pinch a Mass successful St. Peter's Square that is expected to tie ample crowds, arsenic good arsenic world leaders.

Zelenskyy said he would beryllium happy to meet pinch different leaders arsenic he did astatine Pope Francis' funeral, erstwhile he held talks pinch US President Donald Trump and respective European leaders.

The Vatican could beryllium getting a larger domiciled successful nan bid process betwixt Ukraine and Russia, aft Pope Leo offered to big bid talks this week.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said connected Saturday that nan Vatican could beryllium a imaginable venue, taking up nan Holy See’s longstanding connection aft Pope Leo vowed to personally make “every effort” to thief extremity nan war.

Speaking to reporters successful Rome earlier gathering pinch Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, nan Vatican constituent man connected Ukraine, Rubio said that he would beryllium discussing imaginable ways nan Vatican could help, “the position of nan talks, nan updates aft yesterday (Friday) and nan way forward.”

Asked if nan Vatican could beryllium a bid broker, Rubio replied: “I wouldn’t telephone it broker, but it’s surely — I deliberation it’s a spot that some sides would beryllium comfortable going.”

During their gathering astatine nan US Embassy successful Rome, Rubio thanked Zuppi for nan Vatican's humanitarian role, citing successful peculiar captive swaps and nan return of Ukrainian children. Rubio “emphasised nan value of continued collaboration nether nan caller activity of Pope Leo XIV,” US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

Pope Leo, who was elected history’s first American pope connected 8 May, took up Pope Francis’ telephone for bid successful Ukraine successful his first Sunday noon blessing arsenic pope. He appealed for each sides to do immoderate imaginable to scope “an authentic, conscionable and lasting peace.”

The Vatican caput of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, repeated nan Vatican’s connection to service arsenic a venue for nonstop talks, saying nan nonaccomplishment of negotiations successful Istanbul to scope a ceasefire this week was “tragic.”

Asked concretely what specified an connection would entail, Parolin said that nan Vatican could service arsenic a venue for a nonstop gathering betwixt nan 2 sides.