The “peace mission” for Kiev announced by the Pope “will be completed”. This was confirmed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at an event at the University of Lumsa in Rome. Parolin also said he was “surprised” by the reaction of Kiev and Moscow because instead “at that point the parties were informed. Then, amidst the maze of bureaucracy, the communications may not get where they should . But mine are just interpretations, I know both sides are informed.”
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Regarding the presence of the Russian Antony, Hilarion’s successor, today at the Pope’s general audience, Parolin said that “it has nothing to do with the speech of the peace mission”. “The meeting – he explained – is part of the normal communication of the Roman Curia, which takes place from time to time. He is the representative of the Patriarchate of Moscow.” The cardinal said he has not met him and will not meet him. The Vatican Secretary of State did not add anything to the peace mission: “I will not go into detail. The Pope spoke so, we leave it to him to provide further information.”
Coming back to the Kiev and Moscow denials, Parolin remarked: “I would say I would be surprised if it weren’t the simplest explanation, and I don’t know what motivation or reasoning it responds to”.
When asked about today’s drone attack on the Kremlin, Parolin emphasized: “All acts of war, especially if they serve to create a climate of hostility, certainly do not bring peace any closer. I don’t know if the conditions are there today, let’s hope … I believe that this initiative – if there is one – by the Vatican should also go in this direction: we want, as we have always said, to an attitude of the Fights come and then initiate a peace procedure”.
Russia today reiterated that it “has not yet received any concrete proposal or plan from the Vatican for a peace deal in Ukraine.” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that Moscow has “nothing of the sort and does not have the details of the initiative recently mentioned by Pope Francis.”