US Vice President JD Vance and Pope Leo XIV, two prominent Catholic figures, met at the Vatican on Monday. This meeting comes at a crucial juncture, preceding a significant US-led diplomatic push aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Vance’s visit to the Vatican followed the inaugural Mass for the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American to hold the position. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also Catholic, accompanied Vance.
The meeting between Vance and Pope Leo XIV is seen as highly significant, given the Vatican’s potential role in mediating peace talks. While largely sidelined during the initial years of the war, the Vatican has offered to host peace negotiations and continues to facilitate humanitarian efforts, including prisoner exchanges and the reunification of Ukrainian children separated from their families.
Vance’s day in Rome was packed with meetings. Before his meeting with Pope Leo XIV, he engaged in separate discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. These meetings underscore the multifaceted diplomatic efforts underway to resolve the conflict.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, is a Chicago-born Augustinian missionary who served extensively in Peru. Even before his election, he publicly expressed views critical of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, a stance that contrasted with Vance’s. This difference in opinion on migration adds an interesting layer to their meeting.
Interestingly, Vance was among the last foreign officials to meet with Pope Francis before his passing in April. Their past interactions involved disagreements over migration policies, with Pope Francis publicly correcting Vance’s theological justifications for the Trump administration’s deportation plans. Now, with a new Pope in place, the stage is set for further diplomatic efforts.
The diplomatic flurry continues with US President Donald Trump planning separate phone calls with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as with NATO leaders. These conversations, combined with the high-level meetings in Rome, signal a renewed commitment from the US to find a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict. The coming days will be crucial in observing the outcomes of these intensive diplomatic efforts.
