UGCC head: The Vatican is not asked to mediate between Russia and Ukraine

Sviatoslav Shevchuk. Photo: RBC-Ukraine

Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, stated in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that the Vatican is not serving as a mediator in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Moreover, according to him, there have been no requests from either side for such mediation.

“Mediation is a diplomatic mechanism that requires specific preconditions. The first is the consent of both parties to involve a mediator and their request for it. The second is the willingness of the parties to implement the recommendations proposed by the mediation. At present, none of these conditions have been met,” Shevchuk explained.

He mentioned that he has been working on this issue since 2014. However, despite numerous statements about potential mediators, including the Prime Minister of India, the necessary conditions for a diplomatic mission by the Holy See have not been established.

“Last year, our president stated that Ukraine does not need mediators but allies. This caused a significant reaction from the Vatican, which proposed exploring how the Holy See could act as an ally to Ukraine,” the head of the UGCC noted.

Shevchuk emphasized that the Vatican has focused on the humanitarian aspect of President Zelenskyy’s “peace formula,” which falls under the Church’s competence as a subject of international law. “The Holy See is methodically and consistently doing what it can to benefit Ukraine,” he concluded.

As reported by the UOJ, the head of the UGCC also commented on the recent remarks of Pope Francis, who referred to Ukrainians and Russians as “brothers, cousins.”

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