Pope Leo XIV met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday, as the United States seeks to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as per The AP.
The meeting took place the day after the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV, the first American to be elected pope. Vance, a Catholic convert, led the U.S. delegation to the ceremony and was accompanied by Rubio, also Catholic, and their spouses.
According to a Vatican statement, the talks included an “exchange of views on some current international issues,” with particular attention to the need for “respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict,” as well as support for “a negotiated solution between the parties involved.”
The Vatican has expressed willingness to serve as a potential venue for peace talks and continues to assist in humanitarian efforts, including facilitating prisoner exchanges and supporting efforts to reunite displaced Ukrainian children with their families.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Archbishop of Chiclayo in Peru, held several private audiences on Monday with international visitors attending his inaugural Mass, including U.S. officials, leaders from other Christian denominations, and faithful from his home diocese.
While the Holy See was largely on the diplomatic sidelines during the initial years of the war in Ukraine, the new pontiff’s early engagement with world leaders signals a possible shift in the Vatican’s role in international peace-building.
There was no immediate readout from the U.S. delegation, but Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder confirmed the meeting focused on global affairs and the U.S. commitment to engaging allies and partners in seeking peaceful resolutions to international conflicts.
