VATICAN, June 30. /TASS/. Russian Patriarch Kirill and Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, whom Pope Francis appointed as an envoy for Ukrainian settlement, have met in Moscow to discuss humanitarian initiatives that may facilitate a peaceful solution, the Holy See said on Friday.

"On the days 28 to 30 of this month, His Eminence Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, envoy of the Holy Father, paid a visit to Moscow aimed at identifying humanitarian initiatives that may open up pathways to achieving peace," the Holy See said in a statement.

Cardinal Zuppi "had a fruitful encounter with His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’, to whom he conveyed the Holy Father’s greeting and with whom he also discussed humanitarian initiatives that may facilitate a peaceful solution," the statement went on to say.

The cardinal also met with Yury Ushakov, a Kremlin aide for foreign affairs, and Maria Lvova-Belova, a presidential commissioner for children’s rights. In their discussions, they emphasized "the need to be able to achieve the much-desired peace," the Vatican said.

The results of the visit "will be made known to the Holy Father, with a view to further steps to be taken, both at humanitarian level and in the search for pathways to peace," according to the statement.

Zuppi, who arrived in Moscow on Tuesday night, returns to Rome on Friday. The Holy See said the purpose of the cardinal's trip was to make a humanitarian contribution to the search for a way out of the current tragic situation in order to achieve a just peace. Earlier, the cardinal visited Kiev, where he met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and religious figures.