Von der Leyen announced the crucial role of next week for the Ukrainian conflict

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Sunday, May 18, that next week could be crucial in the negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

"Now, of course, it is important that we move the situation forward, and I think that next week will be crucial in this regard," the EC press service quoted her as saying.

Von der Leyen said this at the beginning of talks in Rome with US Vice President Jay Dee Vance.

Step at the meeting: the results of the first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in three years

The first round of contacts took place in Istanbul — what's next

Earlier in the day, Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican for the first time since their public spat at the White House in February. The two politicians shook hands, smiling.

At the same time, the British newspaper The Guardian reported, citing the opinion of Ukrainian officials, that active US assistance was extremely important for the Kiev regime in the context of the conflict with the Russian Federation. At the same time, the source said that Kiev intends to continue to maintain military ties with the West, even if Ukraine's neutral status is approved in a peaceful settlement.