The Vatican factor in Russia-Ukraine talks

Hello. After the Vatican emerged as a possible host for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, my colleague Sarah Rainsford explains how the Holy See's involvement could affect negotiations. This week's episode of From Our Own Correspondent sees Simon Busch speaking to Venice residents about the city's entry fee experiment. And finally, an ancient bucket is restored from fragments found at a burial site over the past four decades.

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No firm plan for Vatican in peace talks

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky met Pope Leo at the Vatican earlier this week. Credit: Ukrainian Presidency Handout

Italy has backed the Vatican as a possible host of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. But the Holy See says that the idea of hosting, or even mediating, talks - which US President Donald Trump suggested was an option - is for now more a hope than any concrete plan, reports Sarah Rainsford. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has accused Russia of "trying to buy time" to stall negotiations, seems open to the proposal. As for Russia's Vladimir Putin, Sarah notes, the talks' location matters little in the absence of major pressure to give ground.

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