Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's foreign minister, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, calling for an urgent end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This meeting, the first in-person discussion between the two officials in five years, focused on avenues toward peace and humanitarian cooperation.
Gallagher emphasized that each day the conflict continues results in new victims and complicates future reconciliation efforts. He stated that the Vatican would continue to provide spiritual, diplomatic, and humanitarian support by fostering dialogue to resolve the war, which has been ongoing for four and a half years. Pope Leo has also consistently appealed for an end to the conflict, lamenting the civilian casualties, including children.
Following their talks, Gallagher and Lavrov agreed to collaborate on humanitarian matters, specifically concerning the care of children impacted by the war.
