"Vatican is not neutral": Russia against peace talks with the participation of the Holy See - Bloomberg

Representative of Russian President Dmitry Peskov reported that there are no agreements on negotiations in the Vatican. However, European leaders continue to discuss the potential role of the Holy See as a neutral mediator, and the possibility of negotiation next week will depend on Russia's readiness to join.

The United States also support Ukraine, trying to promote the organization of negotiations, and at the same time signals to Moscow seeking to avoid the involvement of rigid figures, including Vladimir Medinsky, who headed the Russian delegation in Istanbul. Political consultant Sergei Markov, close to the Kremlin, said Putin would not visit Italy - the NATO country - because of security reasoning, as well as because Russia does not consider the Vatican an objective side.

The situation is also complicated by the tension in relations between the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches. Patriarch Cyril, a famous supporter of Putin and wars, openly opposes the role of the Vatican. Although the meeting between Pope Francis and Cyril in 2016 has become a historical - the first of the great split of 1054 - now the ROC criticizes the Vatican and accuses him of passivity to the persecution of pro -Russian churches in Ukraine.

In addition, Italy, as a participant in the International Criminal Court, is legally obliged to arrest Putin in the event of his arrival, since he is under arrest for probable war crimes. According to the publication, despite the potential role of the Vatican, to hold full negotiations at the highest level with the participation of Trump, Putin and Zelensky far, and now the prospect of a peace agreement remains hazy.