The Vatican’s most senior foreign diplomat says that the “war must end” in Ukraine, as he visits Moscow for the first time since 2021.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, has called for an urgent end to the war in Ukraine after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.
Gallagher said the continuation of the conflict was creating new victims every day and making future reconciliation increasingly difficult. He described ending the war as “urgent and necessary” while stressing the need to look beyond the conflict.
The meeting marked the first in-person talks between senior Vatican and Russian officials in five years. Gallagher said he and Lavrov discussed possible avenues towards peace in Ukraine and agreed to cooperate on humanitarian issues, including assistance for children affected by the war.
The Vatican envoy also reaffirmed the Holy See’s willingness to support diplomatic efforts, dialogue and humanitarian initiatives aimed at bringing an end to the conflict, which has continued for more than four years.
The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year, has continued to take a heavy toll on civilians, with thousands killed and injured and communities across Ukraine facing repeated attacks. Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly called for an end to the violence, most recently urging an end to attacks on civilians and respect for international humanitarian law.
Gallagher’s visit to Moscow therefore comes as part of the Vatican’s broader diplomatic efforts to keep channels of communication open and explore avenues towards ending the conflict. His meetings in Moscow, following his earlier engagement in Kyiv, underscore the Holy See’s attempt to position itself as a bridge for dialogue at a time when the search for a lasting peace remains elusive.
