Putin’s talk with Pope Leo XIV highlights Russia’s weakening hand – Ambassador

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Vatican Andriy Yurash commented on Putin's conversation with the Pope.

“Since he never wanted to communicate with Pope Francis in previous years, who was formally and speculatively accused of a more pro-Russian position, and now he suddenly wanted to communicate with Pope Leo, who is more clearly pro-Ukrainian, this can only indicate one thing - a weakening of Russia's positions and a desire to look for new points of cooperation and support,” Yurash wrote.

He pointed out another key detail: the conversation took place after the Russian leader had spoken with U.S. President Trump. According to Andrii Yurash, this clearly shows that the American president is consistently pushing Putin to accept the Vatican as a venue for negotiations.

“So, Putin's unblocking of his communications with the Apostolic See and russia's categorical rejection of the Holy See as a platform for talks is no longer so categorical...,” the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican summarized.

• On June 4, Russian leader Vladimir Putin had his first telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV. Prior to that, he had been on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump for more than an hour.