Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Vatican Official Urges End to Ukraine War in Moscow
A senior Vatican diplomat traveled to Moscow to meet Russia’s foreign minister.
His name is Archbishop Paul Gallagher.
They talked about the war in Ukraine and ways to move toward peace.
Gallagher said the war should end because people are being hurt every day.
He also said the fighting makes it harder for people to make peace later.
The two sides agreed to work together on humanitarian issues, including helping children affected by the war.
The Vatican said it wants to support dialogue and humanitarian efforts.
Pope Leo has also repeatedly called for the conflict to end.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher urged an end to the Russia-Ukraine war after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.
The talks were the first in-person meeting between Vatican and Russian officials in five years.
Gallagher said the war’s continuing casualties make future reconciliation more difficult.
Gallagher and Lavrov discussed possible paths to peace and agreed to cooperate on humanitarian issues involving children affected by the war.
The Vatican said it would continue offering spiritual, diplomatic, humanitarian and dialogue support to help end the conflict.
- Who
- Archbishop Paul Gallagher and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; the Vatican and Russia were represented.
- What
- They held talks about ending the Ukraine war, possible paths to peace and humanitarian cooperation.
- When
- Tuesday, August 25; the meeting was the first in-person Vatican-Russian official talks in five years.
- Where
- Moscow, Russia.
- Why
- Gallagher said ending the war is urgent because its continuation creates more victims and makes future reconciliation harder.
- Vatican representative
- Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister and second-highest diplomatic official
- Russian representative
- Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister
- Meeting location
- Moscow
- Diplomatic significance
- The first in-person talks between Vatican and Russian officials in five years
- Humanitarian cooperation
- The officials agreed to cooperate on matters such as caring for children affected by the war
- Vatican position
- The Vatican said it would continue providing spiritual, diplomatic and humanitarian support and offering space for dialogue
- Conflict duration
- The report describes the war as lasting four years in one passage and four and a half years in another