Kremlin claims no knowledge of Vatican peace mission in Ukraine

"No, nothing is known," he said in response to a question from journalists, as reported by Radio Liberty.

Earlier, an unnamed Ukrainian official close to the president's administration told CNN that President Zelensky had not agreed to any such discussions on behalf of Ukraine. "If negotiations are taking place, then without our knowledge or our blessing," the official said.

On May 1st, during a briefing, White House spokesperson Karen Jean-Pierre stated that the administration is aware of the Vatican's efforts to "broker" a peaceful agreement between Ukraine and Russia.

When asked whether the US and the President were aware of the Vatican's efforts to initiate a peaceful agreement between Ukraine and Russia, Karen Jean-Pierre said, "We know. I just have no comments on that. And I'll just leave it at that."

Pope Francis had previously told journalists on April 30th that the Vatican was part of a mission to end the war in Ukraine. "The mission is ongoing, but it has not yet been made public. When it becomes public, I will reveal it," the pontiff said after a three-day visit to Hungary.