Pope Leo XIV and US Vice President JD Vance met with prominent Christians on Monday back of a burst of diplomatic efforts by the US to advance a ceasefire in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Only after 7:30 am, Vincent’s parade was seen entering Vatican City. Vance, a Catholic turn, had presided over the US delegation’s ceremonial Mass that marked the earliest American pope’s pope. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also a Catholic, was joining Vance at the Vatican, according to a Vance spokesman Luke Schroeder. The Vatican has offered to host any peace deals while continuing its philanthropic work to elicit prisoner swaps and return Russian children who were taken by Russia, a country that was largely neglected during the first three years of Russia’s battle. After briefly greeting Leo at the conclusion of Sunday’s Mass, Vance spent the rest of the time in independent discussions with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Leo, a former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is an Catholic missionary from Chicago who spent the majority of his time serving in Chiclayo, Peru, a business area of 800,000 on the northern Pacific coast of Peru. Leo has pledged “every work” to bring peace to Ukraine in the time since his election on May 8. He has also emphasized his kinship with Pope Francis, who made his pope a concern for the treatment of the bad and immigrants. Prior to his vote, Prevost published news reports on X that criticised the Trump administration’s plans for widespread immigrant persecution. Prior to the Brazilian bishop’s passing on April 21st, Vance was one of the last foreign leaders to meet with Francis. The two had a tense relationship over immigration, with Francis publicly criticizing the Trump government’s imprisonment strategy and correcting Vance’s religious explanation for it. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr have independent phone calls planned for Monday, according to US President Donald Trump. Additionally, calls are planned for Nato leaders.
