The mission of Vatican special envoy to try to end the Ukrainian war has started. This was announced this Monday by the Holy See in a very brief statement on the Beginning of the journey of Cardinal Matteo ZuppiPresident of the Italian Episcopal Conference and Archbishop of Bologna, designated for this new mission in the Slavic country by the Pope Francisco just 15 days ago.
“This is an initiative that aims to listen deeply to the Ukrainian authorities on possible ways to achieve a just peace & rdquor ;, The Vatican has communicated. It seeks to sustain “gestures of humanity that contribute to ease tensions”, has been added.
Zuppi, 67, whose visit will take place on Monday and Tuesday, will travel to the Ukrainian capital, kyiv, according to what was reported. It is not known, however, if she will meet the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelensky, while a spokesman for the Ukrainian government has insisted that what kyiv is expected are “efforts to return to their homes the children who were forcibly taken to Russia.” Similarly, Moscow has made it known that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s agenda does not include a meeting with Zuppi.
Counteroffensive
It is the reflection of a visit that, as has been highlighted in recent weeks, arrives in a very difficult time, with the Ukrainian authorities opposed to mediation with Russia carried out by third parties. Ukraine is “ready & rdquor; to launch his military counteroffensiveZelenski said just two days ago. “Weapons destroy all hope of peace,” Francis repeated recently.
In addition to this, it is not clear what is the state of communications between the Pope and putin. In fact, in the last year and a half, Francis has successfully mediated some exchanges of prisoners captured by Russia and Ukraine, but it is not known if the Pope has had the possibility of speak directly to the Russian leader. Something that he was able to do with Zelenski, on his recent visit to Rome.
but this is also meeting did not end with the best auspices for a Vatican mediation. “With all due respect for his Holiness, we don’t need mediators between Ukraine and the aggressor, we need a just peace and we must do the rest,” Zelensky said after that meeting.
risks
The preamble is not one of the best, also because the recent trip of the Chinese conflict mediator Lu Hui, has concluded with the verification that the path is still uphill. “There is a great distance in the positions of both countries. We have made our first trip, it was difficult to get a good result the first time”, said Hui.
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In this tangled context, the key could be found precisely in the figure of zuppia prelate who in the past has successfully served as conflict mediator in Africa. Even so, Vatican voices also consider that, if it fails, the reputation of Zuppi, today one of the cardinals with better fame within the Catholic Church, it could be damaged.
In this context, the Vatican itself has recently tried to lower expectations about the Vatican mission. A first objective iscreate a different atmospherea climate that helps everyone to move towards a peaceful solution& rdquor ;, and not in an “immediate mediation & rdquor ;, said the Vatican Secretary of State last week, Pietro Parolín.