/ world today news/ The special envoy of the Pope, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, visited Russia with proposals for resolving the Ukrainian conflict. Although no concrete results have been achieved by the parties, experts believe that this and other similar initiatives will eventually form the basis for an end to hostilities.
The dialogue will continue
The intention of the Vatican to send its representative to Moscow became known already in the spring. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not object, although it was not clear until the cardinal’s arrival whether he would meet with representatives of the department. As a result, Dzupi spoke with the adviser to the Russian president, Yuri Ushakov.
The Cardinal arrived in Moscow on the evening of June 27 and stayed at the Apostolic Nunciature. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Russian side highly appreciates the Vatican’s efforts and initiatives. “It was about the exchange of views, information on humanitarian issues in the context of Ukrainian issues. There are no specific decisions or agreements, if necessary, the dialogue will continue,” he commented on the meeting.
Earlier, the cardinal visited Kiev, where the Vatican said he had a “short but intense” conversation. It was noted that the results “will bring to the attention of the Pope and they are undoubtedly useful for evaluating the steps to be taken both at the humanitarian level and in the search for ways to a just and lasting peace”.
In addition to Ushakov, Dzupi spoke with the Commissioner for Children’s Rights under the President of Russia, Maria Lvova-Belova. They discussed issues related to the protection of children.
The Chinese factor
The Vatican peace initiative is not the first. There have been others. For example from China and African countries. And Moscow supports them all.
Beijing, in particular, proposed a 12-point program, including, among other things, “respect for sovereignty,” a “ceasefire” and peace talks.
In the West, the Chinese plan was criticized: there they assumed that its implementation would secure new territories for Russia. However, Beijing appointed a special representative to promote the peace initiative. Previously, China was the mediator in the Iran-Saudi deal, and even the US had to comply.
Ball of the country of Ukraine
The Black Continent also spoke seriously. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, following the visit of an African delegation to Kyiv in mid-June, also presented a peace plan. Among its ten clauses are achieving peace through diplomacy, de-escalation and humanitarian support.
Points for the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of children are highlighted. Moscow took this plan more cautiously than the Chinese. But overall positive. Putin even received delegates from Africa.
However, for now, everything depends on the intransigence of Ukraine and its Western patrons. Russia, on the other hand, is open to any proposals.
Quantity and quality
Experts do not believe in immediate positive results from the meeting with the Vatican representative. At the same time, they are convinced that the dialogue with the supporters of peace must be maintained.
“If the negotiators continue to travel between Moscow and Kiev, it will not make sense. The key decisions are made not in the Ukrainian capital, but in Washington. For now, this all looks like a performance in which the actors go on the stage in Kiev and greet each other with air raid sirens alarm. If the USA gets involved, the proposals will become more concrete and it will be possible to work with it,” explains Vladimir Zharihin, deputy head of the Institute of the CIS countries.
For now, the US authorities do not accept peacekeepers. According to Jarikhin, Joe Biden is preventing the resumption of peace talks. For him, the victory in Ukraine is the last chance to save his reputation on the world stage. “He thinks that this is his swan song, and this can seriously harm all of humanity. As soon as another president appears in the United States, there will be no obstacles to dialogue,” the expert is convinced.
Denis Denisov, an expert from the Financial University of the Russian government, adds that the Vatican’s proposals do not differ much from those of Africa, China and others. At the same time, the Catholic Church emphasized the humanitarian aspect, including the exchange of prisoners. The political part of the agreement worries her less.
“There will be no significant result in the short term. But when real negotiations begin, many overt initiatives will be used. As a result, the cessation of hostilities will be presented as an achievement for all humanity,” the interlocutor notes.
According to experts, the list of intermediaries will inevitably expand. Not only governments, but also non-profit organizations will be speaking. And this will pave the way for the resumption of peace talks.
Translation: V. Sergeev
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
and for the channel in Telegram:
Share on your profiles, with friends, in groups and on pages. In this way, we will overcome the limitations, and people will be able to reach the alternative point of view on the events!?
#Indulgence #Ukraine #Russia #Vatican #agreed
