ROME (Reuters) -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Tuesday that Pope Leo had confirmed during a phone call with her his willingness to host in the Vatican the next round of negotiations to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Following the election of the new pope, several of Ukraine's partners, including the United States, suggested that the Vatican could become a neutral platform for further peace talks.

The Vatican has a deep history of conflict mediation, with varying degrees of success. An effort by the pope to end the war in Ukraine would face long odds.