Archbishop Gallagher Opens 5-Day Moscow Talks on Ukraine as Vatican Presses Neutral Peace Line
Updated
Updated · Crux Now · Aug 24
Archbishop Gallagher Opens 5-Day Moscow Talks on Ukraine as Vatican Presses Neutral Peace Line
3 articles · Updated · Crux Now · Aug 24
Summary
Archbishop Paul Gallagher arrived in Moscow for a five-day visit centered on Tuesday talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with the Ukraine war expected to dominate the agenda.
Russia said the meeting will cover bilateral cooperation with the Vatican and coordination in multilateral forums, though the Kremlin said no meeting is scheduled with President Vladimir Putin.
Pope Leo XIV this month again urged both sides to stop attacks on civilians and make room for diplomacy, while stressing the Holy See seeks a neutral voice for peace rather than a realistic mediator role.
Lavrov on Saturday rejected negotiations with Western countries, and Russia last year also dismissed the Vatican as a venue for Ukraine peace talks, underscoring the limits facing Gallagher's mission.
Gallagher's arrival coincides with the anniversary of Ukraine's 1991 independence, a date Ukrainian religious leaders marked with a global call for prayers as the war enters roughly its fifth year.