Helsinki, May 22: Technical-level talks involving Russia and Ukraine may take place as early as next week at the Vatican, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with national broadcaster Yle.

Stubb said on Wednesday evening that the talks would likely include representatives from the US and European countries, calling the potential meeting a positive step toward broader international engagement in efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.

"It is very probable that next week, for example at the Vatican, there will be a technical meeting involving Ukrainians, Russians, Americans, and Europeans," he added.

He emphasised the growing role of European countries in the peace process.

"We are entering a phase where Europe is also involved -- and that is what we have been hoping for from the beginning," Stubb said.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with several European leaders including Stubb.

The new Pope, Leo XIV, said earlier on Wednesday that the Holy See is ready to promote the peace process in Ukraine, including to host talks.

US President Donald Trump welcomed this initiative.

Talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul on May 16.

On May 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a more than two-hour phone call with Trump where the two leaders discussed ways of settling the conflict in Ukraine.

Following this call, the US president spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a number of European leaders, with Stubb being among them, to inform them about his conversation with Putin.

Stubb maintained that the US has not abandoned its role as a mediator in settling Russia’s war against Ukraine.

"There are now more mediators," he noted.

"Earlier, only the US played that role. Now Europe is also participating."

Earlier on May 21, Pope Leo XIV said he was prepared to host the next round of Ukraine-Russia talks at the Vatican following a conversation with Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni.

On May 16, Pope Leo XIV had proposed that Ukraine and Russia hold peace negotiations at the Vatican after Russian President Putin refused to fly to Istanbul to meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

The same day, Ukrainian and Russian delegations met for the first time in more than three years, sitting down for talks brokered by Turkey.

Ukraine's Defence Minister and head of its delegation, Rustem Umerov, said that the key topics were a 30-day ceasefire and POW exchanges.

Turkey's Foreign Minister later said the delegations agreed on a follow-up meeting and that the ceasefire conditions would be exchanged in writing.

Several media outlets reported that during the talks Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya regions. Moscow’s delegation allegedly threatened to seize Ukraine's Kharkiv and Sumy regions and stated that "the Russian Federation is prepared to fight forever".

Trump shared details of an earlier conversation with Russian President Putin, and the group discussed ongoing negotiations, a potential ceasefire, and steps toward a lasting peace in Ukraine.

(IANS)

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