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Holy See to press ahead with efforts toward achieving peace in Ukraine, cardinal affirms

On Saturday, Pope Francis granted an audience to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

ROME, May 17. /TASS/. The Holy See will continue its efforts toward achieving a settlement to the conflict in Ukraine, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said at a summit of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik on Wednesday.

"Together with Pope Francis, together with Ukraine, we must ask ourselves how to achieve peace," ANSA news agency quoted the cardinal as saying. "The time has come to come up with initiatives to establish a just peace in Ukraine <…>. I assure you that the Holy See will continue to do its part," he said.

On Saturday, Pope Francis granted an audience to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. The Vatican press service reported that they had discussed the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Later, commenting on the Vatican’s peace initiatives, Zelensky said that his country had no need for mediators.

Officially, the Vatican had no comment on these statements. According to Vatican sources, however, Zelensky had attempted to obtain Pope Francis’ full recognition of his "peace plan," but the pontiff declined to do so. The Ukrainian president, in turn, rejected Pope Francis’ offer to act as a mediator to achieve peace. Nevertheless, the sources made assurances that the peace efforts of the Holy See will continue.

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