A high‑ranking Vatican representative called for an end to the war in Ukraine after a meeting on Tuesday in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Serhiy Lavrov. The talks marked the first face‑to‑face contact between Vatican and Russian officials in five years.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher, head of the Vatican’s foreign policy department, said that every day the conflict continues creates new victims and makes future reconciliation increasingly difficult. Speaking alongside Lavrov at a joint press conference, he stressed the urgent need to end the fighting and look beyond it.
Discussion of paths to peace and humanitarian cooperation
Gallagher added that he and Lavrov discussed possible routes to peace in Ukraine and agreed to cooperate on humanitarian issues, especially assistance for children affected by the war.
Gallagher, the Vatican’s second‑highest diplomatic representative, last visited Moscow for talks with Lavrov in 2021, before the full‑scale invasion began.
Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict. In his address on August 9, he expressed sorrow over the ever‑growing number of civilian casualties, including children.
On Tuesday, Gallagher said the Vatican will continue to provide strong spiritual, diplomatic and humanitarian support, facilitating dialogue and offering a platform to help bring the war to a close.
Source: The Straits Times
