The Kremlin said it welcomed the Vatican's offer to provide a negotiating platform to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, but Kyiv's position made this impossible.
"Of course, we welcome such political will, but given the de facto and de jure situation we have now on the Ukrainian side, such a platform cannot be requested," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"We know that a number of foreign officials and the government are expressing their readiness to provide a platform (for talks). No doubt, we welcome this political will," Peskov said, citing TASS.
Earlier, Pope Francis reiterated 10 days ago, the Vatican is ready to do whatever it can to mediate and end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in an interview with the Italian daily La Stampa.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Holy Land for Foreign Relations Paul Richard Gallagher confirmed earlier that the Vatican maintains contact with Moscow through diplomatic channels and is ready to offer negotiating tables to Ukraine and Russia, if such offers come from parties "with good intentions to find a path to peace".
Pope Francis has frequently called Ukraine in its public appearance, warning several times that a crisis is at risk of triggering the use of nuclear weapons with uncontrolled global consequences.
Last month, the Pope for the first time directly appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop a wave of violence and death in Ukraine.
It is known, since Russia invaded Ukraine more than nine months ago, several countries including Turkey, Israel, and China have been touted as potential mediators in the conflict.
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