The Pope's envoy is planning another visit to Russia in late September
The Pope’s special envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, plans to visit Russia again in late September. Talks are expected during the visit, with humanitarian issues related to the war against Ukraine as the main topic.
RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency, reported on Zuppi’s upcoming trip. Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putin’s adviser on international affairs, previously stated that he intends to meet with the cardinal to discuss humanitarian issues.
It is worth noting that Matteo Zuppi heads the Italian Episcopal Conference and, since 2023, has been carrying out a diplomatic mission entrusted to him by the Vatican regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. One of the main focuses of his work has been the return of Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia, as well as facilitating prisoner exchanges and the reunification of families separated by the war.
Zuppi last visited Moscow in October 2024. At that time, he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Yuri Ushakov, Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, and Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova. Following that trip, the Vatican reported that the talks focused on reuniting Ukrainian minors with their families, exchanging prisoners and the wounded, and returning the bodies of the deceased.
During previous missions, Zuppi also visited Kyiv, Washington, and Beijing, where he met with government officials and discussed opportunities for humanitarian mediation and ways to end the war.
Details of the cardinal’s upcoming visit to Russia have not yet been made public. It is also unknown which other Russian officials he plans to meet with. At the same time, Moscow has not yet stated that the upcoming talks will concern a broader peace settlement. Officially, the focus is specifically on humanitarian issues.
Source: Reuters.
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