Moscow has played down the idea of the Vatican being a potential location for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, calling it a "fantasy" that many people are talking about.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cast doubt on Friday over the Vatican as a potential location for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, saying that the Holy See itself would find it uncomfortable to host two mainly Orthodox Christian nations.

Russia and Ukraine have no direct peace talks scheduled, the Kremlin said Thursday, nearly a week after their first face-to-face session since shortly after Moscow’s invasion in 2022 and days after U.

Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat has just poured cold water on Donald Trump’s latest suggestion for Ukraine peace talks to be hosted in the Vatican. After his “excellent” two-hour phone call with his Russian counterpart on Monday,

MOSCOW -- A new round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will take place, with Kiev confirming plans for a second round of negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.

Trump seeks a meeting with Putin to discuss the Ukraine war after skipping peace talks. Zelenskyy accuses Russia of not being serious about ending the conflict.

The announcement was made ahead of an expected prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia on Friday – an outcome of last week’s face-to-face talks in Turkey, the first time the two countries have held direct talks at any level in three years.

President Trump has shifted his stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, suggesting that the two nations must independently negotiate peace. Despite earlier promises to broker a quick resolution and threats of sanctions,