Zelenski goes to the Vatican on Sunday for the “inauguration” of the new Pope / What other leaders of the world have announced their presence
Donald Trump and Volodimir Zelenski, during the Vatican discussion, before Pope Francis Photo: Profimedia
The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, will take part in the inauguration liturgy of the new Pontiff, Pope Leon XIV, along with many other world leaders, such as US Vice President JD Vance, notes Reuters, according to News.ro.
The ceremony will take place in Saint Peter Square and will officially mark the investment of Pope Leon, born in Chicago and established for many years in Peru, as a spiritual leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics from all over the world.
The US Vice -President, JD Vance, who had a hard exchange of replies with Zelenski to the White House in February, will run the American delegation, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
At his previous visit to the Vatican, on the occasion of Pope Francis's funerals on April 26, Zeenski held direct discussions with US President Donald Trump, inside Saint Peter.
Marco Rubio said he will discuss Cardinal Matteo Zuppi on Saturday, formerly sent by Pope Francis in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, about the prospects for the conclusion of the Ukraine. Rubio suggested that the Vatican could become a suitable place to facilitate the dialogue between the two parties.
“I would not call him a mediator, but it is certainly a space where both camps might feel comfortable,” he told journalists.
Among the leaders expected on Sunday, the presidents of Israel, Peru and Nigeria, the premiers of Italy, Canada and Australia, the Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz and the President of the European Commission Von Der Leyen. Also, many members of the European Royal Houses will participate, including King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain.
Russia will be represented by the Minister of Culture, Olga Lyubimova, the Vatican confirmed.
The new Pope wants to host Russia-Ukraine Peace Negotiations
Pope Leon XIV wants to host peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican, after the failure of Friday, May 16, from Istanbul, who resulted with little progress apart from an agreement for an exchange of prisoners, the Vatican announced a day ago.
“It is a tragedy, because we put our hope in a process perhaps slowly, but leading to a peaceful solution of the conflict. And, instead, we are again at the starting point,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State and the main diplomat of the Holy See, on Friday, in the margin of an event organized in Rome.
Pope Leon XIV, chosen a week ago, said that the settlement of the Ukraine war will be one of the priorities of its pontificate.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, sent emissaries to both Ukraine and Russia and facilitated the meeting of Ukrainian children with their families, as well as exchanges of prisoners of war. Although he publicly supported the cause of Ukraine, Pope Francis suggested, in the first months of the conflict, that NATO expansion has contributed to its escalation, according to Politico.
