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Papal envoy preparing to visit Moscow to discuss Ukrainian settlement, says source

On Monday morning, the press service of the Holy See reported that the cardinal will be in Kiev on June 5-6

VATICAN CITY, June 5./TASS/. Papal peace envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who leaves for Kiev on Monday, is also expected to visit Moscow, an informed source at the Vatican told TASS on Monday.

The trip "is being prepared," the source said. However, no timeframe for the visit has been mentioned. Earlier, Cardinal Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, also declined to comment on any plans.

On Monday morning, the press service of the Holy See reported that the cardinal will be in Kiev on June 5-6. The program of his visit was not announced.

At the end of April, Pope Francis himself told journalists from his press pool about the Vatican's peace mission. He did not elaborate, saying only that it was not yet public. Initially, the pontiff said that he was ready to travel to Kiev personally, but only on the condition that he would be received in Moscow as well.

As Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, previously explained, this is not a mission aimed at an immediate resolution; it is rather aimed at improving the climate for bringing peace closer.

The Russian side welcomes any attempts to facilitate a peace settlement, while Kiev has said that it does not need any mediators. Pope Francis expressed confidence in one of his interviews that peace is possible if the parties can speak to each other, including via a mediator.

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