Pope Leo XIV has sent the head of Vatican diplomacy to Moscow in a new attempt to open a channel of dialogue regarding Ukraine. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See and often described as the Holy See’s foreign minister, will be in Moscow until August 28. According to Russian sources, his mission will include a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The visit continues the diplomatic efforts launched by his predecessor, Pope Francis.
This week the Vatican is taking another step to keep open channels of dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. Gallagher’s visit comes weeks after his trip to Ukraine and is one of the first high‑level diplomatic moves by Leo XIV aimed at direct dialogue with the Kremlin.
The Vatican has not released an official programme for the trip, but Russian sources say Gallagher plans to meet Lavrov on Tuesday, August 25. He is also expected to hold talks with other government officials, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate and members of Russia’s small Catholic community.
Gallagher has not visited Russia since November 2021, a few months before the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. At that time he met Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Lavrov and Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, who then headed the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Strategy of preserving dialogue
The new mission fits the strategy that Leo XIV inherited from his predecessor Francis. Its goal is to keep a line of communication with Moscow even while peace talks remain stalled. Pope Leo XIV has also suggested the Vatican as a possible venue for future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
“The mission of Monsignor Gallagher is very important; we accompany it with many prayers,” said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian Episcopal Conference, during a meeting in Rimini. Zuppi, who was sent to Moscow and Kyiv by Francis in 2023 and 2024 and whose mission was later confirmed by Leo XIV, noted that the humanitarian component is central to the Holy See’s efforts.
Key priorities include the return to Ukraine of children displaced to Russia, prisoner exchanges and assistance to populations affected by more than four years of war. During his last mission in Ukraine, Zuppi visited centres where prisoners of war are held and said he hopes to return to Russia by September. It is not yet clear whether Gallagher will be able to make a similar visit during his stay.
Diplomatic legacy of Francis and controversies
Leo XIV’s strategy directly continues the diplomatic work that Pope Francis pursued after the invasion began. In 2023, Francis appointed Cardinal Zuppi as a special envoy to seek paths to peace and promote humanitarian initiatives. The cardinal visited Kyiv, Moscow and Washington, trying to maintain contacts with all parties to the conflict.
Francis also faced criticism for his ambiguous stance at the war’s outset, which many saw as overly accommodating to Russia. He avoided labeling Russia as the aggressor in order to keep diplomatic channels with Moscow open.
In March 2024, during an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, Francis said Ukraine should have “the courage to raise the white flag” and negotiate with Russia. “When you see that you are defeated, that things are going badly, you have to have the courage to negotiate,” the pontiff said, adding: “Negotiation is never surrender. It is the courage not to lead the country to suicide.” The remarks sparked a strong reaction in Ukraine, where they were interpreted as urging Kyiv to accept defeat. Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba responded on X, saying, “The strongest is the one who, in the battle between good and evil, stands on the side of good and does not try to put them on the same level and talk about ‘negotiations’…” He also linked the comment to the Vatican’s controversial stance during the first half of the 20th century.
The Vatican quickly clarified that Francis did not call for Ukraine’s capitulation. According to the Holy See, the pope used the phrase “white flag” at the interviewer’s suggestion to discuss stopping hostilities and achieving a cease‑fire through negotiations.
Francis later emphasized that all wars eventually end with some form of agreement and warned about the human cost of prolonging the conflict, asking, “How many more dead will there be?” He also criticized the defence industry’s role in extending the war.
Another controversy arose in 2023 when Francis spoke to young Russian Catholics about the historical and cultural heritage of “great Russia,” mentioning figures such as Peter I and Catherine II. “You are the heirs of great Russia, the great Russia of saints, tsars, the great Russia of Peter the Great, Catherine II,” he said during a video conference with youth in St. Peterburg. The comments provoked outrage in Ukraine, where they were seen as endorsing Russia’s imperial narrative. The Vatican later explained that Francis was referring to Russia’s cultural and spiritual heritage, not to any imperial ideology or current government.
