Vatican envoy heads to Russia to discuss humanitarian aspects of Ukrainian settlement

Vatican envoy heads to Russia to discuss humanitarian aspects of Ukrainian settlement On September 28-30, cardinal Matteo Zuppi will hold a series of meetings in the Russian capital to discuss ways to resolve humanitarian issuesCardinal Matteo Zuppi© AP Photo/Gregorio BorgiaVATICAN CITY, September 27. /TASS/. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Leo XIV’s special envoy for Ukraine and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, told TASS that he is traveling to Moscow on Sunday. On September 28-30, he will hold a series of meetings in the Russian capital to discuss ways to resolve humanitarian issues and find solutions to the Ukrainian crisis. "I’m leaving today. Meetings with Russian officials are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This is all part of the humanitarian mission first entrusted to me by Pope Francis and then confirmed by Pope Leo XIV. I have been instructed to support the parties' efforts to address the issues of children [evacuated from combat zones], prisoner exchanges, and civilian problems arising from the conflict," the envoy said. According to Zuppi, among other things, the sides will verify whether all civilians forcibly displaced by Ukrainian servicemen from the Kursk Region have returned home. "We are considering all requests from both the Ukrainian and Russian sides within the framework of the dialogue that has already begun. We wish to further develop this dialogue since we know how much suffering war causes. We are trying to help bring it to an end," the cardinal emphasized. Ukraine's public debt reaches roughly $223 bln by late SeptemberIt has risen by roughly $4-5 billion over the past monthRead moreUkraine has no method to counter Geran drones so far — PutinThe Russian leader noted that Russian retaliation against Ukrainian attacks had been so sensitive and devastating that the Kiev regime had requested truceRead moreNATO rehearsing scenarios for blockading Kaliningrad, isolating St. Petersburg — MFAAccording to Yulia Zhdanova, NATO’s drive to escalate tensions around the Kaliningrad Region was confirmed the previous day by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who called on the alliance to step up exercises near the Russian region’s borderRead moreKremlin comments on response to attacks in Black Sea, Russian ambassadors to UK, FranceDmitry Peskov noted that there is no need to rush the appointment of Russian ambassadors to Britain and FranceRead moreUkraine cannot make up for losses in Druzhkovka because of Russian pressure — expertAndrey Marochko stressed that almost all the routes leading to Druzhkovka are under tight fire control of the Russian militaryRead moreLavrov says Putin repeatedly said Russia has no intention of going to war with EuropeQuite recently, I think it was in St. Petersburg, he reaffirmed that we have no intention of going to war with Europe, Lavrov saidRead moreRussia may agree to move S-400s from Turkey to friendly jurisdiction — LavrovWe will be ready to transfer the S-400s to such a country when there is a request, he explainedRead moreMiddle East states helping attack Iran bear direct responsibility — Araghchi"Responsibility also rests squarely with those regional states that enabled and facilitated the aggression by opening their territory, military bases, airspace, and logistical and intelligence infrastructure to the aggressors," Iranian Foreign Minister saidRead morePutin relieves Andrey Kelin of his duty as Russian ambassador to UKAndrey Kelin held this post since November 2019Read moreKiev loses over 1,900 troops in Battlegroup East’s area this week — top brassRussian forces hit five dry cargo ships used by the Ukrainian army in the Black Sea and at the port of Odessa by Geran drones, the Defense Ministry reportedRead moreLavrov jokingly evades question on Russia’s alleged targeting of Romanian base"Well, that’s a secret," the Russian Foreign Minister saidRead moreUkrainian fighters covertly abandoning positions in Zaporozhye region — military expertAccording to Andrey Marochko , this is primarily due to the intense fire Russian forces are directing at units stationed in the Zaporozhye regionRead moreMiddle East situation requires unconventional steps from UN — LavrovThis concerns not only Palestine, but also Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and other African countries where conflicts are raging, he saidRead moreLavrov sees Belgrade being forced to join anti-Russian sanctionsBelgrade is literally being pushed to impose sanctions on Russia as they offer an illusory, as everybody understands already, prospect of EU accession in return, Russia’s top diplomat maintainedRead moreIN BRIEF: Man killed in drone attack on Perm Region as Russia downs 592 UAVs overnightTeenagers aged 17 and 14 were injured in a drone attack on the Volga city of UlyanovskRead moreIN BRIEF: Lavrov comments on EU attempts to derail Ukraine settlement, threats to billionsRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, touching on Ukraine, the West’s Russophobic and destructive policies, the Middle East and UN reformRead moreLavrov sees Europeans preparing for war with RussiaIt is Europe which is preparing for a war with us, he saidRead moreUkrainian forces launched 31 attacks on DPR settlements over past 24 hoursThree residential buildings, passenger cars, specialized machinery, and three civilian infrastructure facilities sustained damageRead moreUkraine's public debt reaches roughly $223 bln by late SeptemberIt has risen by roughly $4-5 billion over the past monthRead moreUkrainian troops encircled in Kharkov Region lose over 50 soldiers"The Ukrainian army’s also losses an armored combat vehicle, two cars, an ATV, and a multiple rocket system launcher, the Russian Defense Ministry reportedRead moreRussian forces control all Ukrainian logistics routes to Dobropolye in DPRUnits of the Battlegroup Center continue to destroy Ukrainian troop formations blocked in the Dobropolye settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry reportedRead moreAt least 11 killed, 30 more injured in blast in northwestern Pakistan — ReutersThe incident took place in Dera Ismail Khan, the news agency saidRead moreRussia believes time is right to ensure Palestinian statehood — LavrovWe believe the time has come to address the main issue in the Middle East, namely ensuring Palestinian statehood based on numerous UN decisions, he saidRead more349 seats for United Russia, Ukrainian attacks on polling stations: CEC statementsThe voter turnout in the State Duma elections reached 59.8%Read moreEU’s reaction to corruption in Ukraine shows Europeans involved in it — envoyRodion Miroshnik stressed that even the heads of European states are involved in these corruption schemesRead moreRussia expects new UN chief not to serve interests of certain countries only — LavrovWe expect that the new Secretary-General whom we should elect between the end of this year will represent the entire international community, rather than serve the interests of separate countries, he maintainedRead moreRussia’s top diplomat holds meeting with his German counterpart on sidelines of UNGAThe meeting is taking place at Germany’s request, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reportersRead moreRussia downs 105 Ukrainian drones over its regions since morning — top brassBetween 8:00 a.m. Moscow time (5:00 a.m. GMT) and 8:00 p.m. Moscow time (5:00 p.m. GMT), alert air defense capabilities intercepted and destroyed 105 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Oryol, and Krasnodar Regions, the Republic of Crimea and the Black SeaRead moreUkraine's neighbors have no wish to join Kiev's military adventures — Russian MFAMaria Zakharova highlighted that the leaders of neighboring states had made it clear that they would not rush to build or jointly use energy facilities with UkraineRead moreTrump tells aides strikes against Iran may resume after November midterms — WSJThe US President is skeptical Iran would meet his demands and has told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely, the newspaper saidRead moreRussia considers killing of Iran’s supreme leader, officials unacceptable — LavrovWe consider the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of his family, and members of the Islamic Republic’s military and political leadership an unacceptable act of coercive diktat, the minister saidRead moreLavrov says he learned nothing new from German foreign minister's remarks at UN meetingLavrov stressed that Moscow does not suffer from a lack of trust in the context of the Ukraine negotiation track, but continues to insist that "one must prove that one is capable of reaching agreements and prove that one can be trusted," while Kiev has failed to do so, encouraged by Western representativesRead moreNumber of foreign mercenaries in Ukrainian army rises over past months — expertAndrey Marochko noted that these include Latin American citizens, and the number of Polish mercenaries has also risen slightlyRead moreUkraine solely responsible for all damage to Black Sea shipping — LavrovAll damage to commercial shipping is caused by Ukrainian terrorist attacks and not only in the Black Sea, but also in the Caspian Sea -- the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Lavrov saidRead morePress review: Trump, Zelensky signal Russia deal interest as Moscow eyes fresh US dialogueTop stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, September 23rdRead moreExplosion occurres during welding works at Elga deposit in Yakutia causing fatalitiesAccording to preliminary information, an explosion occurred on September 26 during welding operations at the backup pumping station, the press service of the regional prosecutor’s office reportedRead moreLavrov sees Europe making every effort to disrupt potential peace talksThe West is pumping the Ukrainian regime with weapons as it also helps Kiev to target drones and missiles at civilians and civilian infrastructure, Russia’s top diplomat statedRead moreFormer Zelensky spokeswoman says UK premier derailed Ukraine peace dealThe UK wants to wear Russia down using Ukrainians, Yulia Mendel saidRead moreTimur Turlov of Kazakhstan elected World Chess Federation presidentA total of 110 delegates voted for himRead moreRussia’s Lavrov holds final bilateral meeting on sidelines of UNGA sessionLavrov is expected to hold a traditional news conference at the UN headquarters before the flightRead moreIsrael violated ceasefire with Lebanon 7,700 times since June 26 — Lebanese militaryThe Lebanese army rejected Israel’s claims that it was allegedly unable to fulfill the mission of ensuring security in the so-called pilot zonesRead moreUS-Iran Islamabad memorandum is fair deal, worth returning to — LavrovThere was also the Islamabad memorandum, which contained specific agreements, he saidRead moreMeeting with Germany’s top diplomat shows Russia ready for dialogue with everyone — LavrovWe are always ready to lend an ear, the Russian foreign minister said, referring to his meeting earlier on Saturday with Johann Wadephul.Read moreUkrainian army redeploys extra forces to Kharkov’s Prikoltnoye, Khatneye — expert"They are still attempting to punch a hole in the 'fire trap' that has formed there," Andrey Marochko saidRead moreRussian Armed Forces hit Cosmonova data center in KievIt provided the operation of mobile internet and supported the Starlink satellite communication system in the interests of the Ukrainian army, the Russian Defense Ministry reportedRead moreDomestic aircraft will be able to refuel on Hainan on preferential termsAviation plays a key role in building the free trade port in the provinceRead moreEx-Russian sports minister Kolobkov elected FIDE vice-presidentKazakhstan’s Timur Turlov was elected president of the global chess bodyRead moreSecurity threats to Russia from Kiev to be eliminated after special military op — Lavrove will continue our struggle for truth and justice to the end, achieve the goals of the special military operation, eliminate security threats to Russia, and restore peaceful life, Lavrov stressedRead morePutin says he intends to attend APEC summitThe head of state reiterated that his trip to the summit would depend on the situation inside RussiaRead morePutin, Vucic discuss Ukrainian conflict, situation in BalkansVucic also expressed gratitude for Russia’s comprehensive assistance to Serbia, especially in helping to fight forest fires, the Kremlin reportedRead moreIran no longer trusts talks with US amid ongoing strikes, sanctions — presidentMediators Qatar and Pakistan are conveying Iran’s messages to Washington, President of the Islamic Republic Masoud Pezeshkian notedRead moreWest raised terrorists in Kiev capable of making bombs from children's toys — DPR headAccording to Denis Pushilin, the West’s tacit approval of terrorism is accompanied by support for such technical means, against which there is no full-fledged "antidote"Read moreTrump advocates for trilateral arms control talks between US, Russia, ChinaUS leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping also discussed "on-going global concerns," including those concerning Russia, North Korea, and IranRead moreKiev taking 'exhaustive measures' to hinder reconstruction in DPR — PushilinDPR Head Denis Pushilin emphasized that the adversary is specifically hindering the installation of utility networks and life-support systems in the liberated territoriesRead moreAir defenses shoot down 42 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions in five hoursThey were intercepted and destroyed over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Tula, Perm and Moscow regions, as well as over CrimeaRead moreMoldova declares state of energy and hydrology emergency for 60 daysThe National Crisis Management Commission can change prices, tariffs, excise duties and other fees, as well as the rules regulating the energy market during this periodRead moreMany analysts say Europe is trying to create Fourth Reich — LavrovNot to mention that all memory of those who defeated Nazism is being erased from textbooks and through the removal of monuments in a number of European countries, he said.Read moreRussia's Su-57 fifth-generation fighter makes first flight with new engineThe flight lasted 17 minutesRead moreOpenAI pauses training of advanced AI models over safety concerns — AxiosSpecialists at OpenAI and Anthropic are currently investigating tens of thousands of incidents that occurred in recent months during testing and real-world deploymentRead moreTrust between Arab nations, Iran must be restored to resolve Hormuz crisis — LavrovWe view establishing trust in relations between the coastal Persian Gulf states - Arab nations and Iran - as a precondition for resolving the Hormuz crisis, Russia’s top diplomat saidRead moreWest jeopardizes billions of lives on planet by acting recklessly — LavrovThe West increasingly resorts to brute force as it acts unpredictably and recklessly, jeopardizing the life and wellbeing of millions if not billions of people on our planet, Lavrov arguedRead moreEurope willingly hands Nazi ashes to Ukraine, knowing it will make show — LavrovCompliant Europeans willingly handed them over to the Kiev regime, fully aware that they would turn them into a show, he saidRead moreNATO seeks to extend influence far beyond area of responsibility — LavrovLavrov noted that the values of broad and equal cooperation underpin Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiatives to create a Greater Eurasian Partnership and a security architecture across the Eurasian continentRead moreLeaders of China, US agree to provide mutual support for hosting APEC, G20 summitsЕhe heads of state expressed their intention to participate in the events organized by the other side, Xinhua news agency reportedRead moreRussia to proceed from its own interests regarding future settlement — PutinHe noted that on the night of September 19-20, the main day of voting in the parliamentary elections, more than 1,600 Ukrainian drones entered practically the Moscow zoneRead moreDefense minister inspects Battlegroup North, hears reports on current situationFollowing his visit to the command post, Andrey Belousov presented state awards to servicemen who had demonstrated valor, courage and heroismRead morePutin’s envoy says Russia, Germany could reopen Nord Stream jointlyKirill Dmitriev noted that AfD is the voice of German people that fights for German energy sovereignty, prosperity, peace and cooperationRead moreTrump urges Zelensky to visit Moscow for talks with Putin — mediaAccording to the newspaper's sources, the head of Kiev regime rejected the proposal and was upset that the US leader had raised the issueRead moreUAC delivers batch of Su-57 fighter jets in new technical configuration to militaryThe aircraft underwent a full cycle of factory testsRead moreRussia, US maintain regular dialogue in various formats, Lavrov revealsWe maintain regular dialogue with the [US President Donald] Trump administration in various formats. This alone equates to normality, he saidRead moreUN foundations under threat as West turns blind eye to Ukrainian Nazism — LavrovJudging by statements from their representatives, the ruling elites of many European Union countries are clearly infected with the virus of racial superiority -- they are harboring extremist, Russophobic ideas, the minister saidRead moreMetastases of Nazi ideology visible among EU, NATO members, including Germany — LavrovMetastases of this inhumane ideology can now be seen in other countries on our continent, primarily among EU and NATO members, in the Baltic countries and in Germany as well. This is particularly concerning, Lavrov saidRead moreRussia prepares visa deals with Asian countries, senior diplomat says"Facilitating mutual travel by citizens is one of the priorities of the Russian Foreign Ministry," Andrey Rudenko saidRead moreLavrov says Guterres’ team promotes double standards, serves Western interestsMoscow wants the UN to genuinely become a center for coordinating the interests of all states, as required by its Charter, the foreign minister saidRead moreRussia insists Anchorage summit yielded agreement — LavrovWe believe that an agreement was reached in Anchorage and we are still ready to return to it. And Europe is feeling sidelined, Lavrov notedRead moreNorth Korea congratulates United Russia on Duma election victoryIn a telegram sent on Thursday on behalf of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling party and himself, Jo Yong Won extended heartfelt congratulations and comrade greetings to all members of the All-Russian political partyRead moreTen Su-34 fighter-bombers hold maneuverable aerial battle in Urals drillsThe Su-34 multirole supersonic fighter-bomber is designated to effectively strike enemy ground and air targets day and night in any weather conditionsRead moreBoeing identifies software glitch in 737 MAX aircraft — WSJThe software malfunction could lead to a failure of the automated navigation system and potentially pose a safety risk during landing, the newspaper saidRead moreUkraine’s layered defenses in Orekhov area overwhelmed — expertMaxim Zubarev said the fate of Orekhov had been decidedRead moreTrump says talks with Xi produce progress on all issuesThe US leader gave no further detailsRead moreEuractiv columnist questions need for extra funding for UkraineClaims were already made earlier this year that Ukraine would run out of money in April, yet this did not happen, Thomas Moller-Nielsen saidRead moreRussia ready to continue dialogue with US — LavrovWe are ready, we will always talk. Especially with countries like the United States. We will always listen and honestly say what we disagree with, he saidRead moreRussia opposes new ‘Western seats’ on UN Security Council — LavrovHe reiterated support for permanent seats for Brazil and India while meeting Africa's interests in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte DeclarationRead moreRutte states NATO allies ready to provide security guarantees to KievNATO secretary general said the alliance had agreed on a package of guarantees in January in Paris under the leadership of French President Emmanuel MacronRead moreHormuz blockade to threaten to least 45 million people with food shortages — UNUnder-Secretary-General and Director of the UN Office for Project Services Jorge Moreira da Silva stressed that a humanitarian crisis can be avoided if at least five or seven ships carrying fertilizers pass through this strait per dayRead moreIsraeli aircraft launch series of strikes on mountainous areas in southern LebanonIntense airstrikes targeted underground shelters, command posts, and depots belonging to the Shiite organization Hezbollah on the heights of Jebel al-Rafi, Rayhan, and SajoudRead moreRussian forces strike logistics hub in Odessa, bulk carrier at sea — top brasIn addition, a bulk carrier with cargo for the Ukrainian army was struck at sea en route to the port of Odessa, the ministry addedRead moreRussia inflicts serious damage to Ukraine in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, expert saysAccording to Andrey Marochko, after the line of combat contact has been stabilized and Nikolayevka, located east of Slavyansk, has been cleared, Russian troops will be able to begin assaulting the eastern borders of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomerationRead moreTyphon systems to be deployed to US Kadena base after drills in Japan — Defense MinistryThe American side has explained that storing this facility at Kadena air base is not a permanent deployment in JapanRead moreRussia insists on immediate release of Maduro with his wife — foreign ministerAt the beginning of this year, in violation of all norms, including moral norms, the United States’ invasion of Venezuela ended with the capture of President Maduro and his wife and their extrajudicial detention in a US prison, he saidRead moreNumber of wounded in Moscow cafe blast rises to 21 — National Anti-Terrorism CommitteeA woman brought an improvised explosive device to the eateryRead moreSeven Palestinians killed in Gaza Strip during Israeli attacks — Health MinistryMost of the victims were brought from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood and the Nuseirat refugee camp, where Israeli forces had been conducting intense fireRead moreBill Gates says AI could lead to deaths of 1 billion peopleThe businessman explained that artificial intelligence could be used by people "with bad intentions"Read moreFour US TV networks to resume coverage of Trump events — NYTAccording to the newspaper, ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC will return to their press pool duties on SundayRead moreLavrov says West destroyed European security system in an attempt to contain RussiaPursuing the utopian goal of containing Russia, the West destroyed the European security system with its own hands and fostered the Russophobic regime in Kiev, he notedRead moreUS not to include Patriot system missiles in $400 million aid package for Kiev — ReutersThis military aid is to be sent to Kiev by October 2029 and will consist of weapons, including parts for armored vehicles, the news agency saidRead moreRussia calls for lifting Cuba blockade, urgent humanitarian measures — LavrovCuba faces unprecedented pressure from its northern neighbor and needs urgent measures to improve the dire humanitarian situation, he saidRead morePutin speaks by phone with VucicThe conversation was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere, the Kremlin reportedRead moreRussia has confidential capacity with some EU, NATO nations to exchange opinions — LavrovWe have several channels of communication with a number of EU and NATO countries, and we have the confidential capacity, if you wish, to exchange opinions through bilateral channels, he statedRead moreAir defenses down 645 drones over Russian regions, Black Sea, Sea of Azov overnightUkrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the territories of the Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Tula, Moscow, Krasnodar, Stavropol Regions, the Republic of CrimeaRead moreRussia to respond to Russophobic moves by EU countries — MFAOn Thursday, the European Union added Ksenia Fedorova, the former head of RT’s French bureau, to its sanctions listRead more