Vatican Envoy Gallagher to Visit Moscow for 5-Day Ukraine Peace Push
Updated
Updated · abcnepal.tv · Aug 6
Vatican Envoy Gallagher to Visit Moscow for 5-Day Ukraine Peace Push
3 articles · Updated · abcnepal.tv · Aug 6
Summary
August 24-28, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher will travel to Moscow as Pope Leo XIV steps up the Holy See’s bid to become a mediator in Ukraine talks.
The push blends diplomacy with institutional interests: the Vatican wants humanitarian access and influence in Central and Eastern Europe while protecting renewed dollar funding tied to its financial overhaul.
Ukraine has become a strategic anchor for Rome as Catholic numbers shrink in Western Europe; Italy alone hosts more than 145 Ukrainian Catholic communities, underscoring the region’s weight for the church.
Moscow channels remain crucial because Patriarch Kirill has been kept off EU sanctions lists with backing from the Vatican, Hungary, Italy and Bulgaria, preserving a key line of contact despite church personnel changes.
Leo has taken a more openly pro-Ukrainian line than his predecessor, but the visit shows the Vatican still aims to balance support for Kyiv with an 'honest broker' role acceptable to Moscow.