Vatican could be a venue for Russia-Ukraine talks, Rubio says, after pope renews an offer to help

ROME (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the Vatican could be a venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks, taking up the Holy See’s longstanding offer after Pope Leo XIV vowed to personally make “every effort” to help end the war.

Speaking to reporters in Rome before meeting with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vatican point man on Ukraine, Rubio said that he would be discussing potential ways the Vatican could help, “the status of the talks, the updates after yesterday (Friday) and the path forward.”

Asked if the Vatican could be a peace broker, Rubio replied: “I wouldn’t call it broker, but it’s certainly — I think it’s a place that both sides would be comfortable going.”

“So we’ll talk about all of that and obviously always grateful to the Vatican for their willingness to play this constructive and positive role,” said Rubio, who also met Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state and foreign minister.

The Vatican has a tradition of diplomatic neutrality and had long offered its services, and venues, to try to help facilitate talks, but found itself sidelined during the all-out war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.

Pope Francis, who occasionally angered both Kyiv and Moscow with his off-the-cuff comments, had entrusted Zuppi with a mandate to try to find paths of peace. But the mandate seemed to narrow to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russia, and the Holy See also was able to mediate some prisoner exchanges.

During their meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Rubio thanked Zuppi for the Vatican's humanitarian role, citing in particular prisoner swaps and the return of Ukrainian children. Rubio “emphasized the importance of continued collaboration under the new leadership of Pope Leo XIV,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

Leo, who was elected history’s first American pope on May 8, took up Francis’ call for peace in Ukraine in his first Sunday noon blessing as pope. He appealed for all sides to do whatever possible to reach “an authentic, just and lasting peace.”

Leo, who as a bishop in Peru had called Russia's war an “imperialist invasion," vowed this week personally to “make every effort so that this peace may prevail.”

In a speech to eastern rite Catholics, including the Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine, Leo begged warring sides to meet and negotiate.

“The Holy See is always ready to help bring enemies together, face to face, to talk to one another, so that peoples everywhere may once more find hope and recover the dignity they deserve, the dignity of peace,” he said.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, repeated the Vatican’s offer to serve as a venue for direct talks, saying the failure of negotiations in Istanbul to reach a ceasefire this week was “tragic.”

“We had hoped it could start a process, slow but positive, toward a peaceful solution to the conflict,” Parolin said on the sidelines of a conference. “But instead we’re back to the beginning.”

Asked concretely what such an offer would entail, Parolin said that the Vatican could serve as a venue for a direct meeting between the two sides.

“One would aim to arrive at this, that at least they talk. We’ll see what happens. It’s an offer of a place,” he said.

“We have always said, repeated to the two sides that we are available to you, with all the discretion needed,” Parolin said.

The Vatican scored what was perhaps its greatest diplomatic achievement of the Francis pontificate when it facilitated the talks between the United States and Cuba in 2014 that resulted in the resumption of diplomatic relations.

The Holy See has also often hosted far less secret diplomatic initiatives, such as when it brought together the rival leaders of South Sudan in 2019. The encounter was made famous by the image of Francis bending down to kiss their feet to beg them to make peace.

Perhaps the Holy See's most critical diplomatic initiative came during the peak of the Cuban missile crisis when, in the fall of 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ordered a secret deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba that were soon detected by U.S. spy planes.

As the Kennedy administration considered its response, with the threat of nuclear war looming, Pope John XXIII pleaded for peace in a public radio address, in a speech to Vatican ambassadors and also wrote privately to Kennedy and Khruschev, appealing to their love of their people to stand down.

Many historians have credited John XXIII’s appeals with helping both sides step back from the brink of nuclear war.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaks to the media during a meeting with President of the Conference of Italian Bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and President of the Conference of Italian Bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, pose for a photo at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and President of the Conference of Italian Bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, meet at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and President of the Conference of Italian Bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, pose for a photo at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 13, 2026--

As medical device manufacturers face mounting pressures to reduce environmental risk, improve traceability, and accelerate product development, Americhem is preparing to highlight a suite of new technologies that reflect these industry shifts at Pharmapack (Paris) and MD&M West (Anaheim) in early 2026.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112893294/en/

The company, known for its healthcare-focused polymer compounds and masterbatches, will showcase five key technologies, each designed to respond to the technical and regulatory complexities facing modern medtech—particularly in areas like connected care, self-administered delivery, and robotic-assisted interventions. Among the engineered solutions:

Americhem is actively engaging with OEM partners to co-develop and validate them for next-generation device applications. The company reports continued double-digit growth in its healthcare segment, supported by its ISO 13485-certified facilities in the U.S. and Denmark and upcoming expansion into China in 2026.

Americhem will also participate in the SPE Minitec Conference held during MD&M West, joining technical discussions on materials innovation for evolving care models.

“There’s a clear shift happening—material choices are now deeply tied to sustainability goals, regulatory scrutiny, and device functionality,” said Matt Miklos, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and M&A at Americhem. “What we’re bringing to these shows is not a catalog—it’s a pipeline of engineered solutions designed to be customized, scaled, and validated in partnership with OEMs who are navigating that complexity every day.”

Americhem’s approach emphasizes long-term material consistency, global compliance, and early design collaboration—factors increasingly prioritized by engineering and R&D teams charged with building the next wave of medical devices.

For technical inquiries or to request early access to sample materials, visit www.americhem.com/industries/healthcare/.

About Americhem

Americhem is an innovative, technology-driven leader in the global polymer industry. Its foundation is built around delivering Performance, Solutions and Trust through close collaboration with customers. All of the company's products are backed by complete technical support that ensures quality, reliability, and value. Americhem operates 10 manufacturing plants and maintains sales offices throughout the world. Visit www.Americhem.com for more information.

Engineered for medical nonwovens, Americhem’s PFAS-free nDryve™ additive delivers fluorine-free fluid repellency to surgical gowns, hygiene drapes, and barrier fabrics—addressing OEM demand for safer, sustainable performance in single-use healthcare textiles.

Americhem’s laser-marking ready thermoplastics enable permanent, high-contrast part identification directly on molded medical components—ideal for cleanroom environments where labels or inks are not viable. Designed for compliance and traceability, these materials support regulatory and workflow demands in modern device manufacturing.