Vatican news site reports Moscow, Kyiv ready to receive Pope’s envoys for ceasefire talks

Pope Francis plans to send envoys to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine to discuss a ceasefire, reports the Vatican news site Il Sismografo.

According to Il Sismografo, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed to receive the pope’s envoys. The site doesn’t name a source for that information. Neither the Kremlin nor Zelensky’s office have commented.

Pope Francis reportedly plans to send Archbishop of Bologna Matteo Zuppi to Kyiv to meet with Zelensky and Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti to Moscow to meet with Putin.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to comment to Reuters on the Il Sismografo report, but mentioned recent remarks by Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin that “now is the moment to take initiative to create a just peace in Ukraine.” A diplomatic source told Reuters that there is not yet any “concrete” information about the envoys’ trips to Moscow and Kyiv.