Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Francis'
special envoy to seek paths towards a peaceful solution to the
war in Ukraine, had talks with United States President Joe
Biden at the White House late on Tuesday.
The meeting lasted almost two hours.
The issue of the Ukrainian children abducted and deported by
Russian forces was among the issues discussed, the White House
said.
"President Biden shared his wishes for Pope Francis's continued
ministry and global leadership and welcomed the recent
nomination of a U.S. archbishop as cardinal," a White House
statement read.
"They also discussed the Holy See's efforts providing
humanitarian aid to address the widespread suffering caused by
Russia's continuing aggression in Ukraine, as well as the
Vatican's advocacy for the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian
children".
Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian
Bishops' Conference, is on a three-day mission to Washington to
"promote peace in Ukraine" the Vatican said.
The visit to the US capital comes on the heels of Cardinal
Zuppi's previous visits to Kyiv and Moscow in June in order to
identify humanitarian initiatives "that could open up paths to
achieving peace".
After the first mission to Kyiv, during which the cardinal met
with representatives of the civilian and religious authorities
and with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Vatican said the
talks would "undoubtedly be useful in evaluating the steps to be
continued to be taken both at the humanitarian level and in the
search for paths to a just and lasting peace."
During the second mission to Moscow Zuppi met with Russia's
ombudswoman for children's rights Maria Lvova-Belova and twice
with President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri
Ushakov, among others.
"During these meetings, the humanitarian aspect of the
initiative was strongly emphasized, as well as the urgency to be
able to attain that peace that is highly desired," said the Holy
See in a statement issued after that mission.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
