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Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskis is expected to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, a diplomatic source said on Thursday, days after the pope said the Holy See was involved in a peace mission to try to end tensions between Russia and Ukraine. war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (AFP)
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The planned itinerary has not yet been officially announced. Pope Francis gave no further information on the peace initiative.
The Kiev government had no immediate comment on reports of a possible trip. For security reasons, Zelensky’s office never releases details of his travel plans in advance.
An Italian political source confirmed that Zelensky could be in Rome over the weekend and said that if that were the case, he would also meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a staunch defender of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
News of the planned visit was first reported by Italy’s ANSA news agency. Zelensky is also expected to travel to Germany over the weekend, sources said.
The pope has pleaded for peace almost every week since the invasion, and has repeatedly expressed his desire to act as an intermediary between Kiev and Moscow. So far, his proposals have failed to produce any breakthroughs.
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Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Smehar met with the Pope last month and said he had discussed Zelensky’s “peace package”. He said he also invited the Pope to visit Kiev.
Pope Francis, 86, has previously said he wants to visit Kiev and Moscow on a peace mission.
During the war in Ukraine, tens of thousands were killed, millions were displaced, and entire cities were razed to the ground.
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