US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States will send a representative to participate in talks in Europe on Ukraine this weekend if there's a good chance of making progress on a ceasefire deal.
"We'll see whether or not we attend the meeting," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We'll be attending the meeting on Saturday in Europe if we think there's a good chance. And we don't want to waste a lot of time if we think it's negative."
Pope Leo called for continued dialogue to seek a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine during a meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Vatican said.
His comments echoed Zelensky's frequent demands for a "just" peace as the Ukrainian leader tries to ensure that any agreement to end Russia's war in Ukraine is balanced and does not overly favor Moscow.
The pope "reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace," the Vatican said in a statement issued after a meeting at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.
Europeans discuss Ukraine with Trump at 'critical moment' for peace
The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany held a call on Wednesday with United States President Donald Trump to discuss Washington's latest peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine, in what they said was "a critical moment" in the process.
Kyiv is under pressure from the White House to secure a quick peace, but is pushing back on a US-backed plan proposed last month that many see as favorable to Moscow.
French President Emmanuel Macron, arriving late for a public debate in western France, said he had just held a 40-minute discussion with Trump and his European colleagues to see how to move forward on "a subject that concerns all of us."