In a significant diplomatic encounter at the Vatican on Monday, Pope Leo XIV welcomed U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for talks centered on global peace, with a particular focus on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The visit comes as the United States prepares to intensify its efforts to broker a resolution to the war that has gripped Eastern Europe for more than two years.
Photographs released by the Vatican show Vance and Rubio smiling warmly as they met with Pope Leo XIV — the newly elected pontiff who hails from Chicago and took over the leadership of the Catholic Church on May 8.
His papacy was officially inaugurated during a mass at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, drawing over 200,000 attendees, including world leaders, royalty, and thousands of faithful.
Since ascending to the papacy, Pope Leo XIV, 69, has made peace a central theme of his leadership, using his platform to advocate for diplomatic solutions to global crises.
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His meeting with the U.S. delegation underscores the Vatican’s desire to play a more active role in facilitating negotiations between warring nations, especially as the humanitarian toll of the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to rise.
Vice President Vance also held talks with the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. According to a statement from the Holy See, the discussions were described as “cordial,” and both sides expressed satisfaction with the current state of bilateral relations.
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In addition to bilateral matters, the talks delved into the broader international landscape. The Vatican emphasized the need for a renewed commitment to humanitarian and international law, particularly in conflict zones.
Both parties stressed the importance of pursuing a negotiated, peaceful resolution to ongoing wars — a sentiment that aligns closely with Pope Leo’s early messages as the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
As the Vatican continues to expand its diplomatic engagement under the new pope, this high-profile meeting with U.S. officials signals a joint commitment to peace and the shared hope of ending one of Europe’s most devastating conflicts in recent memory.
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