Key facts
- Vatican envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi met with Russian officials, including Kremlin foreign policy officer Yuri Ushakov.
- Discussions covered prospects for a settlement, humanitarian issues, prisoner of war exchanges, and displaced children.
- Zuppi visited Ukrainian prisoners of war and spoke with them.
- The envoy also discussed conditions in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky.
- Russia's Foreign Ministry stated Ukraine was blocking supplies to Oleshky, while Ukrainian officials said Russia prevented residents from leaving.
Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi engaged in discussions with Russian officials regarding humanitarian issues stemming from the Ukraine war and visited Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to Russia's Foreign Ministry. The three-day talks, which concluded on Wednesday, September 30, also coincided with an appeal from Pope Leo for Russia and Ukraine to negotiate an end to the conflict.
During his meetings with Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy officer, and other Russian officials, Zuppi addressed prospects for a settlement, prisoner of war exchanges, and the situation of displaced children. The Italian bishops conference head also raised concerns about conditions in Oleshky, a town in Ukraine's Kherson region occupied by Russia. Ukrainian officials reported that Kyiv used drones to deliver food and medicine to civilians in Oleshky over the preceding weekend.