The apostolic nuncio to Ukraine has expressed his support for initiatives that could lead to the end of war, following the release of an open letter by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling for peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Source: OSV News.
In a statement published on Friday by SIR, the news agency of the Italian bishops’ conference, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, who has served as nuncio to the war-torn country since 2021, said that when it comes to war, “the Church’s judgment is clear”.
“God has never revoked the Decalogue, and he has not authorised us to kill. Never,” the Lithuanian archbishop said. “Therefore, I appreciate and accompany with prayer every initiative that sincerely and seriously aims to rebuild peace.”
In his open letter, Mr Zelenskyy commented on the full-scale invasion that began in 2022, noting that history will remember it as Mr Putin’s “personal choice” and “a war without a real cause”.
Noting that Russians are “becoming less comfortable” with the war, as well as the heavy losses sustained by the Russian military, the Ukrainian president urged Mr Putin to “not be afraid to take the path out of this war.”
“The choice is yours now. Enough of war. Ukraine proposes to end this war. This must be done honestly, with dignity and with guarantees that the war will not be reignited,” he wrote.
Mr Zelenskyy called for a meeting between the two in neutral territory and proposed “an all-for-all prisoner exchange”, as well as the “return of civilians and children who were taken away during the war”.
“If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence. We will have those who support us,” he wrote.
According to Reuters, shortly after the letter’s publication, Mr Putin said at a meeting with foreign journalists on Friday that he was “certainly prepared and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine.”
The Kremlin said that although Mr Putin was aware of the open letter, he had not reviewed Mr Zelenskyy’s proposals, Reuters reported.
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Ukraine: Nuncio hopes for peace after Zelenskyy calls for talks with Putin (By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News)
