Pope Leo XIV met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio a day after formally taking his role as leader of the Catholic church.

The Vatican, which was largely sidelined during the first three years of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has offered to host any peace talks.

The talks took place as some on the American Right who had clashed with Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, seek better ties with the papacy.

By Guy Faulconbridge, Steve Holland and Max Hunder MOSCOW/WASHINGTON/KYIV (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin about Ukraine on Monday, after Vice President JD Vance said Washington could walk away from the peace process and conclude that "this is not our war".

We're more than open to walking away,” Vance told reporters aboard Air Force Two as he returned from Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural Mass in Rome. “The United States is not going to spin its wheels here. We want to see outcomes.

The US acknowledges that negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine are currently at an impasse, states US Vice President J.D. Vance, according to Sky News. "We realise there's a bit of an impasse here (in the peace negotiations regarding Ukraine — ed.