ROME, May 22. /TASS/. The Vatican offers its platform for meetings on Ukraine, but does not directly organize or take part in them, the La Repubblica newspaper wrote.

The preparation process is largely coordinated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is holding a number of telephone conversations with European counterparts and the US side, the paper said.

According to the media outlet, the goal of the Italian prime minister is to set the dates for the first round of meetings by the end of the week. The plan is to start with technical meetings so to prepare the ground for further discussions, first for talks at the level of ministers, and then for a summit between Russia and Ukraine.

Meloni intends to hold consultations with French President Emmanuel Macron, the EU leadership and other partners, as well as Turkish representatives in the near future, the paper noted, adding that a new phone conversation with US President Donald Trump is also planned. Then, the Vatican will be informed about the developments.

While Trump likes the idea of a meeting in the Vatican, Macron prefers Switzerland, the publication reads. At the same time, there is German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who says that it is premature to talk about dates and arrangements. The main "unknown," the paper notes, is Moscow, which has not yet received any concrete proposals.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) wrote, citing sources, that a new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine could take place in the Vatican in mid-June. According to the newspaper, the talks will also be attended by an American delegation, which will include US Secretary of State and acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio and US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.

The new Pope, Leo XIV, said earlier that the Holy See is ready to support the peace process in Ukraine, including to host talks. This initiative was welcomed by the US president and European leaders.

Negotiating process

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul on May 16. Moscow and Kiev agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side, present their detailed vision of a possible future ceasefire, and continue the negotiations. The head of the Russian delegation, Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, said Russia was satisfied with the meeting. He also noted that Ukraine had requested direct talks between the leaders of the two countries, and Russia had taken "note of this request."

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the question about the place of possible talks with Ukraine was still open. At the same time, he noted that Russia traditionally welcomes the efforts of all countries that want to help resolve the Ukraine conflict, including the Vatican, which is willing to provide the platform for the talks.