Pope Leo XIV officially assumed his role as the leader of the Catholic Church during a mass attended by notable figures, including Vice President JD Vance. Following the inaugural ceremony on May 18, Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome. This meeting was significant as it followed a contentious exchange between the two leaders at the White House in February. During their discussion, they focused on achieving peace in Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia, with Vance’s office stating that they aimed to update each other on ceasefire negotiations.
Zelenskyy described the meeting as positive, contrasting sharply with their prior encounter where tensions flared. He emphasized Ukraine’s readiness to engage in “real diplomacy” and the need for an unconditional ceasefire. This meeting came ahead of former President Trump’s calls with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 19, as Trump advocated for a ceasefire amid increasing impatience with Putin’s actions.
Zelenskyy supports a 30-day ceasefire, while Putin seeks preliminary talks to outline a potential truce. Recent negotiations in Turkey, the first since early in the war, resulted in a prisoner swap but limited progress on broader peace discussions, with Putin sending a lower-tier negotiation team, avoiding direct engagement with Zelenskyy.
In an interview aired on the same day, former Vice President Mike Pence criticized Putin’s lack of commitment and urged Trump to impose stricter sanctions against Russia and boost military support for Ukraine. The meetings in Rome also included discussions on trade with leaders from Italy and the European Commission.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
