In an interview with Reuters released on Monday, the pontiff said there has been get in touch with in between Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and also Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about a possible trip to Moscow.
” We exchanged messages concerning this since I assumed that if the Russian head of state provided me a little window to serve the source of peace” after that he would certainly go to Moscow to talk to Putin, the pope said.
” It is possible, after I come back from Canada [at the end of July], that I take care of to visit Ukraine,” he added.
” The first thing is to visit Russia to try to help in some way, however I wish to go to both fundings.” He did not clarify if Moscow or Kyiv had formally consented to a papal go to.
Francis has actually repeatedly criticized the Russian intrusion of Ukraine, but has actually also made some questionable remarks and refused to denounce Putin by name. As just recently as mid-June, he stated in a meeting with an Italian Jesuit magazine that the war in Ukraine was “possibly in some way either provoked or not avoided.”
He has additionally formerly said he had an interest in mosting likely to Russia due to the battle in Ukraine, yet not to Kyiv. During a meeting with the Corriere della Serra in May, he claimed “I am not going to Kyiv for now– I first need to go to Moscow, initially I have to meet Putin.”
During the meeting with Reuters, the pope likewise refuted rumors that he would surrender soon, in addition to reports that he has cancer cells.
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