The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, expressed concerns regarding the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia during an interview with Italian daily Avvenire on Wednesday. He recently visited Ukraine for the first time since February 2022 and held meetings with high-ranking state officials, including President Vladimir Zelensky.
In his interview, Cardinal Parolin acknowledged the Holy See’s support for President Zelensky’s peace proposal, particularly in addressing humanitarian issues. However, he believes that the plan does not go far enough, as it fails to involve Russia. It represents an attempt to find peace, although it has gaps in the sense of not involving Russia. This plan can help, but it is not sufficient,” he said.
Despite this, Cardinal Parolin commended President Zelensky’s previous statements about inviting Moscow to participate in future peace conferences, describing them as a positive signal. Nevertheless, he expressed doubt regarding the effectiveness of the current peace formula when it comes to convincing Russia to take part in negotiations. I don’t know if Moscow can be convinced based on this peace formula [of Zelensky],” he said.
Cardinal Parolin also emphasized the importance of involving both parties in talks, with Moscow being particularly crucial to resolving the conflict. However, Moscow must come to the negotiating table, it cannot be absent.” He noted that diplomatic efforts have so far been unsuccessful in finding solutions and urged for a more balanced approach moving forward.
Ukraine has extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit the country, but the Pontiff has made it clear that any potential trip to Kiev would be followed by a visit to Moscow. As the conflict continues, the international community awaits further developments in the search for peace and stability between the two nations.