VATICAN, April 16. /TASS/. Russia treats Pope Leo XIV’s consistent peace-oriented line with respect, although not all world leaders share the Vatican’s position, Ivan Soltanovsky, Russian Ambassador to the Holy See, told TASS.
"In Russia, Pope Leo XIV’s consistent peace-oriented line is regarded with great respect, even if our approaches with the Holy See may differ on certain issues. Among some world leaders, the Vatican’s position does not always receive the same level of understanding," the diplomat said.
"The reaction of US President Donald Trump to the pontiff’s quite expected and predictable remarks regarding the unprovoked aggressive attack on Iran turned out to be overly emotional," he noted.
He stressed that the Holy See could not remain indifferent to the tragedy in the Holy Land, the broader Middle East and the Persian Gulf, "a region where Christianity originated and where the Christian population is now in a particularly vulnerable position." The ambassador also noted that in Catholic circles, as well as in Vatican-related political and diplomatic circles, the controversy triggered a noticeable wave of solidarity with the pope. "It also indirectly extended to the Italian leadership, which, for obvious reasons, maintains close ties with the Vatican," he added.
