Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi concluded three days of talks in Moscow on Wednesday, meeting with Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and other Russian officials to discuss humanitarian issues and potential pathways toward resolving the four-year war in Ukraine.
The Vatican mission ran concurrently with an appeal by Pope Leo, who urged both Russia and Ukraine to return to the negotiating table. The pontiff specifically warned against escalating rhetoric from national leaders regarding nuclear arsenals and the increasing destructiveness of ongoing combat.
Humanitarian Talks and Prisoner Access
According to statements released by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Zuppi’s discussions in Moscow covered prospects for a settlement alongside critical humanitarian concerns, including prisoner-of-war exchanges and the status of displaced children. The Foreign Ministry stated that Zuppi was granted access to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war during his trip.
The ministry’s statement asserted that the cardinal “was personally able to talk with Ukrainians and see for himself that Russia strictly follows all the relevant humanitarian standards,” adding that the visit reinforced the regular dialogue maintained between Moscow and the Vatican.
Zuppi, who also serves as the head of the Italian bishops’ conference, previously traveled to Moscow in October 2024 as part of the Holy See’s ongoing diplomatic outreach. He has similarly held discussions in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Contested Conditions in Oleshky
During Wednesday’s briefings, Russian officials and the papal envoy addressed conditions in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, located in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. Ukrainian authorities recently reported that military drones were deployed over the weekend to deliver essential food and medicine supplies to civilians stranded in the locality.
The Russian Foreign Ministry disputed the circumstances on the ground, claiming that Ukraine was actively blocking all attempts to provide supplies to residents of the town. Conversely, Ukrainian officials maintain that Russian forces are restricting civilians from leaving Oleshky.
Diplomatic engagement between the Holy See and Russian authorities remains ongoing.
