Russia does not want Pope Francis as a mediator in negotiations with Ukraine, - the Apostolic Nuncio

According to the apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Pope is still considering the possibility of becoming a mediator in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. He stated this in an interview with Focus, "Vatican Ambassador: Pope Francis would like to speak against the war together with Patriarch Kirill."

"I know that even before the beginning of the full-scale war on February 24 (for there already was an ongoing war), the Ukrainian authorities and President Zelensky asked Pope Francis and the Holy See to be open to possible mediation. Yet for such mediation to be possible, the other side, the Russian Federation, must accept Pope Francis as a mediator. I may be wrong, but as far as I know, there has been no signal coming from the Russian Federation indicating that they are willing to accept Pope Francis as a mediator. There might have been some minor signals. In July, someone from the ministry said they were paying attention to the Holy See and the Vatican. "There have been some small signs, but I am not aware of any serious steps," the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia said.

After February 24, Pope Francis and the State Secretariat also came out with their own initiative, looking for an opportunity from the Russian Federation to act as a mediator.

"The goal of the mediator is to stop the war, not to reach a truce. And from the very beginning, Pope Francis said he wanted to go to Moscow. The Pope's visit is not about exchanging pleasantries - it is an important event. When he makes a visit, he gets to see the world. And thus, his very arrival should mean the Pope already has certain hopes, reasons for a trip to Moscow, and opportunities for change. We, however, can conclude that Moscow did not consider the possibility of the Pope being a mediator. That is, its intentions to attack Ukraine have not changed. Therefore, there is no result," Nuncio Kulbokas noted.