Archbishop urges direct peace talks with Putin for Ukraine

• Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas believes that peace in Ukraine requires direct talks with Putin.
• Negotiations at the Vatican may only be a media hypothesis.
• The Vatican offers moral authority and dialogue but lacks military or economic power.

The apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, in an interview with the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera," stressed that achieving peace requires more than the agreement of U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on negotiations. A face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin is crucial.

"Of course, for peace to come, it's not enough for President Trump to say 'yes' to talks, and for President Zelensky to accept negotiations. A face-to-face meeting with Putin is needed, and currently, it seems to me that there is no certainty that he will agree to it," said Kulbokas.

Archbishop Kulbokas noted that the idea of negotiations at the Vatican, mentioned by President Trump, might "remain a pure media hypothesis." He also highlighted that the Vatican has been taking action for peace since the beginning of the war.

"But this doesn't mean that very specific work can be done when there's no solid foundation to rely on, because the Vatican is not a military or economic power," warned Kulbokas.

The Vatican can only offer moral authority and dialogue. Archbishop Kulbokas emphasized that although efforts are ongoing, they do not always yield concrete results. However, the mere expectation of negotiations is a positive signal that mobilizes the international community. He warns against excessive optimism and stresses that preparations for other possible solutions should continue in case negotiations do not yield the expected results.

"The thinking that everything will go well, that peace is already settled, and one can relax and stop preparing the groundwork for other potential solutions if negotiations fail, wastes time, and that's precious," stated the nuncio.