Moscow appreciates Pope's efforts on settlement, rejected by Kyiv - diplomat

Dialogue between Moscow and the Vatican on Ukraine continues, relations between Russia and the Holy See are characterized as mutually respectful and constructive, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Italian news agency ANSA.

She emphasized that Moscow "highly appreciates the Vatican's balanced line on the Ukrainian conflict and the efforts of the Holy See and Pope Francis personally aimed at a peaceful settlement, which unfortunately are openly rejected by the Kyiv regime."

Zakharova pointed out that the Russian economy is growing despite the sanctions imposed by the West. "This reality frightens the entire NATO axis of evil," the diplomat said.

According to her, bilateral relations between Russia and Italy are currently broken. "Sooner or later, economic reasons, cultural and historical proximity of the two peoples, objective needs of global development will lead to the fact that the Italian leadership will realize the need to restore these ties," Zakharova added.

Earlier, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the papal envoy for the Ukrainian settlement and the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, visited Moscow as part of the Vatican mission. He has also visited Kyiv and Washington and is planning to visit Beijing. His mission is focused on humanitarian aspects.

Kyiv has rejected the Vatican's mediating role in the peace settlement, but has asked the Holy See for help in returning prisoners of war and Ukrainian children who were allegedly captured in the war zone and taken to Russia. As Dzuppi said earlier, mechanisms for exchanging lists are being worked out. He discussed these issues first in Kyiv and then in Moscow, where he met at the end of June with Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.