The Pope called the condition of his visit to Kyiv

Pope Francis said that in the event of a possible visit to Ukraine, he would also visit Russia. About this he told in an interview published on the America Magazine website.

“I also thought about the trip, but I made a decision: If I go, then I will go to Moscow and Kyiv, both places, and not just one,” Pope Francis said. He noted that the position of the Holy See “is to strive for peace and the search for mutual understanding.” According to him, the Holy See is ready to act as an intermediary between the two countries.

Former Vatican Foreign Minister Paul Richard Gallagher declaredthat the Holy See is ready to provide a place for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The archbishop said that since the outbreak of hostilities, the Holy See and the Pope have always been open to such a possibility, but there has been no response from the parties to the conflict. As it became known in November, Pope Francis involved in the exchange of prisoners from the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Russian Ambassador to the Vatican Alexander Avdeev said that the release of Ukrainian prisoners by the Russian side, or their exchange, is carried out taking into account the lists that Pope Francis regularly provides.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov declaredthat Russia welcomes the efforts of some foreign countries to provide their platform for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, but Kyiv does not need such platforms. Answering the question whether there are any contacts between Moscow and the Vatican on this issue, the Kremlin spokesman said no.

Back in July, Pope Francis spoke about plans to visit Moscow and Kyiv to help peacefully resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

August 26 TASS with reference to the words of the chairman of the World Union of Old Believers Leonid Sevastyanov informedthat Pope Francis declared his readiness to visit Donbass after his visit to Russia, which is scheduled for spring 2023. In addition, Sevastyanov then said that the Pope first wants to visit Russia before his arrival in Ukraine, where he is actively invited by local authorities. The Pontiff also expressed his readiness to visit Russia earlier than in the spring of 2023, if he is invited by the authorities of the country. Sevastyanov himself noted that this visit would not be of a religious nature, it could “take place along a secular line”: a meeting with the president and other high-ranking officials of the country.

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