By Philip Pullella
ROME (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to attend the inaugural Mass of newly elected Pope Leo at the Vatican on Sunday, war commitments permitting, a top presidential aide told Reuters on Tuesday.
In a telephone interview from Kyiv, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said the Ukrainian president would be willing to hold talks with any other world leaders on the sidelines of the inauguration.
He added that the new pontiff had told Zelenskiy in a telephone call on Monday that he was ready to facilitate such meetings and had promised to “do his best” to help bring about a just and lasting peace.
Leo, who was elected in a conclave that ended last Thursday, will be officially installed as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics at a Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday. A number of world leaders are expected to attend.
“He (Zelenskiy) is planning to come, but you know that before (Sunday) we have some other very important meetings,” Yermak said, referring to possible peace talks in Turkey this week.
“Of course during war it’s difficult to be sure, but I know that he will be happy to be in Rome on this day,” he added.
Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump met in St. Peter’s Basilica on the sidelines of the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, where they talked about air defence systems and sanctions on Russia.
“It’s a great place for such meetings. The meeting with Trump was the confirmation of this,” Yermak said.
The United States has not yet said who will represent the Trump administration on Sunday.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Crispian Balmer)
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