"A letter from Zelensky stating as much was dispatched before the delegation's arrival, she said. "We are asking the Holy See to perform a very important mission by becoming a platform where we can establish communication with the other side, with our enemy, so that we can talk about the return of our children, the return of civilians and the return of prisoners of war that are kept in Russian facilities," Vereshchuk said."
"Ukraine first sought Vatican intervention shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, with diplomats from the Holy See opening informal channels in Kyiv and Moscow to receive and share lists of missing people presumed to be in Russian hands. The Ukrainians now are looking to "formalize" that effort and establish guidelines for information exchanges and releases, using the Vatican as an interlocutor, according to Iryna Vereshchuk, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office."
"In an interview published in September, Pope Leo additionally said that it was not "realistic" for the Vatican to act as a mediator. "I'd make a distinction in terms of the voice of the Holy See in advocating for peace and a role as mediator, which I think is very different and is not as realistic as the first one," Leo told Ameri"
Pope Leo XIV met with a delegation that included Ukrainian officials, victims of Russia's war and a U.S. senator as Kyiv sought Vatican help to secure releases. Ukraine seeks to formalize Vatican-facilitated channels established after the 2022 invasion, with the Holy See having opened informal lines in Kyiv and Moscow to receive and share lists of missing people presumed held by Russia. Kyiv aims to establish guidelines for information exchanges and releases to recover children, civilians and prisoners of war. A letter from President Volodymyr Zelensky accompanied the delegation. The Vatican visit occurred amid external diplomatic pressure and differing views on the Vatican's role as mediator.
Read at The Washington Post
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