Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal
Pietro Parolin on Wednesday called on Council of Europe member
sates to take "initiatives" to "create a just peace in Ukraine"
and said the Holy See would continue to play its part.
"Together with Pope Francis we should ask, together with
Ukraine, how to create peace: we cannot passively accept that
the war of aggression should continue in that country," said
Parolin at the Council of Europe summit of heads of state and
government in Reykjavik.
"It is the Ukrainian people who are dying and suffering. It is
time to take initiatives to create a just peace in Ukraine and
in all the so-called gray areas in Europe. I assure you that the
Holy See will continue to do its part," added the cardinal.
On Saturday the pope met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky for talks in the Vatican focusing on "the humanitarian
and political situation in Ukraine caused by the ongoing war".
"Both (leaders) agreed on the need to continue humanitarian
efforts in support of the population," said Vatican spokesman
Matteo Bruni.
"The Pope particularly stressed the urgent need for gestures of
humanity towards the most fragile people, the innocent victims
of the conflict".
However, Zelensky later told journalist Bruno Vespa on Rai TV
Saturday that any peace plan to end the war with Russia must be
Ukrainian, not the Vatican's, although he was very interested in
involving the Holy See in their formula for peace.
His comment came after the pope in April announced a secret
Vatican peace mission on Ukraine, knowledge of which Kyiv and
Moscow both subsequently denied.
"With all respect for His Holiness, we do not need mediators, we
need a just peace," Zelensky told Vespa on Saturday.
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