The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation recognizes the Vatican's role in prisoner exchange with Ukraine

At a press conference on January 23, Zakharova praised Pope Francis' position on the Russian-Ukrainian war and the tangible humanitarian results of cooperation between Russia and the Holy See. This was reported by CREDO, citing CNA.

“With the active personal involvement of Cardinal Zuppi, the Pope's special envoy for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, 16 wounded servicemen of the armed forces of our country returned to Russia during two recent Russian-Ukrainian prisoner-of-war exchanges,” she said.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged nearly 400 POWs under agreements brokered by the United Arab Emirates in late December and mid-January.

“We look forward to continuing constructive cooperation with the Vatican on humanitarian issues,” Zakharova said.

While traditionally criticizing the collective “West” for “provoking” the conflict with Ukraine, Zakharova added that “the balanced, verified position of the Vatican and Pope Francis, who seeks to make a favorable contribution to the settlement of this acute crisis, stands out.”

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi has already visited Moscow twice as part of the papal peacekeeping mission: in June 2023 and in October 2024. During these meetings, he spoke with Patriarch Kirill, Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova, who was accused of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and various government officials, including Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser. Zuppi did not meet with the Russian dictator himself.