Vatican’s special mission to defuse the war in Ukraine continues uphill. This is what emerges from a few pieces of information about the visit of the papal envoy Matteo Zuppi. Stop the conflict in Ukraineended his trip to Moscow this Thursday together results which, at least for now, seems different.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized for himself:any dealReached after meeting on Wednesday, behind closed doorsbetween Zuppi and Yury Ushakov, political adviser to the Russian presidency. However, Peskov reported that an agreement had been reached. keep the dialog open As reported by the Russian agency Tass.
With him, another faithful sign of difficulties, Zuppi’s visit did not receive particularly encouraging words from Maria Lvova-Belova, the defender of minors in Russia. The conversation revolved around “humanitarian issues” and “child protection,” as the Russian official reported after meeting with him today.
But Belova did not approveAs Ukraine expected and asked if it would be launched into the Vatican the return of thousands of Ukrainian children Transferred to Russia (facts against the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court). A very moderate response that came on the same day, confirmed by Western sources. transfers these children to continue On the territory of Ukraine occupied by Russia.
Without Putin, with Cyril
And more. Zuppi’s stay in the Russian capital also did not finally happen. Unlike what happened earlier this month, when the Italian priest had the opportunity to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev earlier this month, it involved a meeting between the envoy and the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.
What Zuppi achieved was desirable. meeting with Cyrileffective Russian Orthodox Patriarch, Close to Putin and that Pope Francis had a difficult confrontation at the beginning of the war because of his support for the Russian invasion. “being Putin’s altar boyThe Argentine wrote to him in Russian in May 2022. “I’m glad the Pope sent him to Moscow,” said Cirilo, now meeting with Zuppi.
hopes
The starting point offers chiaroscuro. During his trip to Cuba in 2016, first pope Catholic meeting a patriarch Russian Orthodox for nearly 1,000 years, Francis has tried in recent weeks repair the relationship with this branch of Christianity. So much so that Francis came to welcome one of Cyril’s representatives at his same residence in the Vatican.
However, it cannot be ruled out that they will be attending in the days to come after Zuppi’s visit.”concrete actions”. Among them is a new prisoner exchange Russian and Ukrainian warfighters, as well as other initiatives, Monsignor Paolo Pezzi, archbishop of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, in an interview on Wednesday.