Peskov said the Vatican is ready to contribute to the settlement in Ukraine.

The Vatican has expressed its willingness to participate in the process of resolving the conflict in Ukraine. This was announced on June 5 by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

He noted that the issue of Vatican mediation was not discussed in specific details. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin positively assessed the Vatican's contribution to humanitarian initiatives.

"The Vatican has expressed its initiatives and talked about openness and willingness to contribute to the settlement [in Ukraine], but so far there have been no contacts between Putin and Pope Leo XIV," he told reporters.

According to Peskov, the Russian leader also congratulated the pontiff on his election at the conclave.

The High Priest from across the sea: an American has become the new Pope

Robert Francis Prevost took the name Leo XIV.

On June 4, Putin had his first telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV, during which he also discussed the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict with the new pontiff.

Cardinal Robert Prevost from the United States was elected the new pope on May 8. He became the first American cardinal with Latin American roots, prefect of the dicastery for Bishops, and a representative of the Augustinian Order. As pontiff, he took the name Leo XIV. The Russian delegation to the papal enthronement ceremony on May 18 was led by Russian Ambassador to the Vatican Ivan Soltanovsky.