Russia confirms 2nd round of talks with Ukraine to take place soon

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed on Friday that a second round of talks with Ukraine will be held soon.

Speaking at a conference on South Russia in Moscow, Lavrov said work on a memorandum of peace is ongoing and has already reached "an advanced stage" from the Russian side.

Addressing media reports suggesting the Vatican as a possible venue for the negotiations, Lavrov expressed reservations, saying it would be "uncomfortable" for the Holy See itself to host delegations from two Orthodox countries under the current circumstances.

"Imagine the Vatican as a venue for negotiations. It's rather unseemly, I would say, for Orthodox nations to discuss the elimination of root causes on a Catholic platform. I believe it would not be particularly comfortable for the Vatican either," he said.

On May 16, Russia and Ukraine resumed direct peace talks in Istanbul after a break of more than three years. During the meeting, both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each and to begin drafting a document outlining the conditions for a potential ceasefire in the more than three-year-long conflict.

US President Donald Trump, after a two-hour conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, said the Vatican has shown interest in hosting the negotiations.