The Vatican is said to have made the offer during a phone call with the Italian prime minister

Pope Leo XIV waving to the crowd at a General Audience in St. Peter's Square.
Pope Leo XIV was inaugurated on SundayANGELO CARCONI/EPA

Tom Kington

, Rome

Wednesday May 21 2025, 7.05pm BST, The Times

The Pope has offered to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks at the Vatican, the Italian prime minster, Giorgia Meloni, has said after speaking to the newly elected pontiff by phone.

“The prime minister thanked Pope Leo for his offer and for his serious commitment to peace,” Meloni’s office said.

In a statement, her office added Meloni had been asked to contact the Pope during a call with President Trump and European leaders on Monday, the same day Trump discussed peace plans with President Putin.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a Holy Mass for the beginning of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate.

Giorgia Meloni was at St Peter’s Square on Sunday for the Pope’s inaugural mass

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Trump said on Monday “it would be great” for Russia and Ukraine to sit down for talks at the Vatican. The Pope said last week: “The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face to face, to talk to one another.”

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia welcomed “the readiness and efforts of all parties who want to contribute to a speedy settlement”, but said no proposal had yet been received from the Vatican.