Zelenskyy ready to meet with Pope on Sunday: What it depends on
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
The President of Ukraine may meet with Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, May 18. The final decision on the meeting will be made in the coming days, reports the French newspaper Libération.
In an interview with the French newspaper and four other media outlets, Zelenskyy did not rule out a meeting with the new Pope on Sunday, May 18. However, he clarified that it will depend on the diplomatic developments in relations with Russia.
"Perhaps on Sunday, if everything falls into place. However, we still don't know how this week will end," the president said.
Negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine
On Sunday, May 18, an inauguration mass for Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to take place in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. It is expected that many foreign state leaders will attend the event.
The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, did not rule out that Zelenskyy might attend the inauguration of the new head of the Catholic Church.
On May 10, during the summit in Kyiv, the leaders of the member countries of the Coalition of the Willing issued an ultimatum to Russia, demanding agreement to a 30-day total ceasefire on the front lines. In the event of refusal, European countries threatened Moscow with new sanctions.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not agree to a ceasefire, but instead proposed on May 15 to resume negotiations in Istanbul, which were suspended in the spring of 2022.
Zelenskyy agreed to visit Istanbul but emphasized that Putin must be personally present for the talks.
Meanwhile, Putin has not officially responded to whether he is willing to personally attend the Istanbul negotiations. According to media reports, Kremlin representatives may attend the talks, rather than the dictator himself.
The US is demanding that Russia begin a 30-day ceasefire and engage in peace negotiations in Türkiye during that period.
