Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Rome on Saturday for discussions with government officials and Pope Francis, who declared the Vatican is engaging in a peace mission to end the war with Russia in late April.
Before visiting the Vatican, Zelenskiy will meet with President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Before visiting Germany, he will appear on a popular Italian talk program.
Despite her friends, including former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, having close links to Moscow, Meloni visited Zelenskiy in Kyiv in February to reassure him of Italy’s support for Ukraine.
His meeting with the Pope will highlight Zelenskiy’s visit to Italy. He met the Pope at the Vatican in 2020 and has spoken to him several times since the war started.
The Pope tried to mediate at the start of the war, but he later strongly condemned Russia’s actions, equating them to Soviet crimes against Ukraine.
On April 30, Francis made a fascinating but ambiguous speech about the Vatican trying to stop the war after returning from Hungary. “A mission is underway but not yet public. “I’ll reveal it when it’s public,” he told reporters on his journey home.
He surprised Moscow and Kyiv. The Vatican says something is happening but won’t say what.
During their meeting this week, Il Messaggero said that Francis sent Russia’s outgoing ambassador to the Vatican, Alexander Avdeyev, a letter for Putin.
Francis has called for peace regularly and offered to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow. But, unfortunately, his proposition hasn’t worked.
Zelenskiy has invited the Pope to Kyiv but has also declared he wants to visit Moscow on the same peace mission.
On April 27, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said he discussed Zelenskiy’s “peace formula” with the Pope at the Vatican.
Zelenskiy and his team encourage world leaders to hold a Global Peace Summit based on Kyiv’s 10-point peace plan.
It demands the removal of Russian soldiers, a ceasefire, and the restoration of Ukraine’s sovereign borders. However, Zelenskiy has frequently indicated the plan is not negotiable.
The Pope said the Vatican would do “all that is humanly possible” to repatriate Ukrainian youngsters. Since February 2022, Kyiv estimates about 19,500 children have been illegally deported to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea.
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