'LET THE PROCESS BEGIN' Trump draws new pope into a tricky role on Russia's war

Pope Leo XIV's proposed role of hosting Ukraine-Russia peace talks in the Vatican marks a significant development for the first US-born pontiff, just as the Trump administration appears to be stepping back from leading negotiations.

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The Vatican has helped arbitrate delicate matters of diplomacy in the past. But this one risks dragging the pope, who is less than two weeks into his papacy, into an intractable conflict that has no clear end in sight.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said that “the Vatican, as represented by the pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations.” He added on social media: “Let the process begin!”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said preparatory work had already begun and and that she expects negotiations to start immediately after she held a call with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders.