Pope ‘ready’ to host peace talks while EU urges Trump to hit Putin with sanctions - UK and EU announce new wave of sanctions, with British measures alone affecting 100 entities and individuals

On Sunday, following his first Sunday mass as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who marked the occasion with a gift: An image of the Madonna and child painted on a wood panel from an artillery crate used on the frontlines of its war against Russia.

Pope Leo XIV holds his first general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, issuing an appeal for Gaza, which he calls an “increasingly worrying and painful” situation, harming children, elderly, and the sick in particular.

Vice President JD Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since their squabble in the Oval Office earlier this year.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his willingness to host the next round of talks in the Vatican to bring the end of Russia's war in Ukraine closer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on May 20, according to the Italian government's website.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Tuesday that Pope Leo had confirmed during a phone call with her his willingness to host in the Vatican the next round of negotiations to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Pope Leo XIV has met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his inaugural Mass in the Vatican, where he delivered a message of love and unity to a crowd of 200,000 pilgrims. “We thank the Vatican for its willingness to serve as a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

Australia has commenced shipping the first of 49 decommissioned M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a move confirmed by Prime Minister Albanese to President Zelenskyy during Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass. -This aid proceeds despite some reported US reservations concerning Ukraine’s previous challenges in maintaining and effectively employing the Abrams,