Trump wants to meet Putin in the Vatican: Italy under diplomatic pressure

Donald Trump has reportedly asked the Italian government to help arrange a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Rome or the Vatican as early as next week. The request, reported by Sky News, could put Italy in a difficult legal dilemma due to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Putin. This is reported by Sky News, writes UNN.

Details

According to the British TV channel Sky News, Donald Trump had a conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, during which he proposed holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on neutral territory - in Rome or the Vatican. The talks could take place as early as next week.

Sources in the Italian government confirmed the fact of the conversation but did not provide official comments. Similarly, sources in the Vatican and the US Embassy in Italy refused to respond to journalists' inquiries.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, issued a diplomatic position: Italy is ready to support any dialogue that can contribute to ending the war, said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

However, Trump's request caused a serious international legal dilemma: if Putin indeed arrives in Italy, the country's government - as a party to the Rome Statute - is obliged to arrest him on the basis of the International Criminal Court's warrant issued in March 2023.

Russian "media" have already reacted - in particular, the "TASS" agency called the idea of negotiations in Italy unrealistic. The Kremlin's position has not yet been officially announced.

Trump's request demonstrates his desire to play a key role in resolving the war in Ukraine. However, any attempt to organize a meeting with Putin on the territory of a Western state inevitably exacerbates the contradiction between political expediency and legal obligations facing the democratic world.

Recall

Donald Trump is preparing for a possible personal meeting with Vladimir Putin as early as next week to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. But the approaches of the parties differ radically, and the chance of success seems illusory.