Zelenskyy meets with Vatican representative in Kyiv – video

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State of Vatican City, in Kyiv on 23 July.

Source: Office of the President of Ukraine; President Zelenskyy on X

I had a meaningful meeting with the Secretary of State of the Holy See @TerzaLoggia, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

We discussed the consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the ongoing aerial terror, the difficult humanitarian situation, and the outcomes of our meeting… pic.twitter.com/toxRSoooDA

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— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 23, 2024

Details: During their meeting, Zelenskyy thanked Parolin for his multi-day visit to cities around Ukraine, which he called a "strong signal from the Holy See". Zelenskyy also thanked the Vatican for its participation in Ukraine’s Peace Summit in Switzerland this June.

According to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy and Parolin discussed the president’s meeting with the Pope as part of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy in June, the aftermath of Russian aggression against Ukraine, including the Russian missile strike on the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv earlier this month, and the "difficult humanitarian situation" in Ukraine.

Background:

• Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State of Vatican City, arrived in Ukraine on 19 July. He visited Lviv, Odesa, Zhytomyr Oblast, and Kyiv.
• Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Vatican has said it was prepared to serve as an intermediary to negotiate a "peaceful settlement".
• In 2023, the Vatican announced a "peace mission" to Kyiv and Moscow. It has also repeatedly called for Ukrainian children and civilian hostages to be released and brought back to Ukraine.

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