Vatican archbishop in Moscow calls for end to Russia's war against Ukraine
Photo: Vatican Archbishop Paul Gallagher (Getty Images)
Gallagher met with Lavrov in person in Moscow on August 25 for the first time in five years.
He said the four-year Russian-Ukrainian war, as he described it, is still ongoing and continues to claim new victims, and this makes "future reconciliation ever more difficult."
"It is therefore urgent and necessary to end and to look beyond the conflict," Gallagher said.
The Archbishop also said that he and Lavrov discussed ways to achieve peace in Ukraine and agreed to cooperate on humanitarian issues, including the care of children affected by the war.
He added that the Vatican would continue to provide strong spiritual, diplomatic and humanitarian support in an effort to create space for dialogue aimed at ending the war.
Vatican on the war
Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly called for an end to the war.
In an August 9 address, he expressed sorrow over the growing number of civilian casualties, including children.
RBC-Ukraine previously reported that the Pope once again called on Russia and Ukraine to end the war. During the Angelus prayer on Sunday, he expressed deep concern over the rising number of civilian casualties.
The new Pope Leo XIV has also said that he carries in his heart the "suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine" and called for negotiations to achieve an "authentic, just and lasting peace."
The Vatican has also declined to participate in US President Donald Trump’s Peace Board.
