The Pope Is Correct That He Should Visit Moscow And Kyiv. He Is Wrong About The Order Of The Visits. Scene Of The Crimes Must Be First. Then Bring Visions And Evidence To Perpetrator.
NOTE: The Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See (the Vatican) in Kyiv, Ukraine, has remained operational since 24 February 2022.
VATICAN CITY, May 3 (Reuters) (excerpts) - Pope Francis said in an interview published on Tuesday that he asked for a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to stop the war in Ukraine but had not received a reply. Francis, who made an unprecedented visit to the Russian embassy when the war started, told the newspaper that about three weeks into the conflict, he asked the Vatican's top diplomat to send a message to Putin. The message was "that I was willing to go to Moscow. Certainly, it was necessary for the Kremlin leader to allow an opening. We have not yet received a response and we are still insisting".
"I fear that Putin cannot, and does not, want to have this meeting at this time. But how can you not stop so much brutality? Twenty-five years ago in Rwanda we lived through the same thing," he was quoted as saying, appearing to equate the killings in Ukraine to the genocide in the African country in 1994. Asked about a trip to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, which Francis last month said was a possibility, the pope said he would not go for now. "First, I have to go to Moscow, first I have to meet Putin ... . I do what I can. If Putin would only open a door," he said.
Since 15 March 2022, four presidents, seven prime ministers, one chancellor, one deputy prime minister, three foreign ministers, one secretary of state, one secretary of defense, president of European Commission (EC), president of the European Council (EC), president of European Parliament (EP), speaker of the United States House of Representatives have visited Ukraine. Members of the United States Congress and members of Parliaments have visited Ukraine.
30 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives accompanied by Democratic Party Representatives Gregory Meeks, Representative Adam Schiff, Representative James McGovern, Representative Jason Crow, Representative Barbara Lee, Representative William Keating
28 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the 193-member United Nations
24 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State (NATO), and Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of Defense
21 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain (EU, NATO); Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Kingdom Denmark (EU, NATO)
20 April 2022 (Kyiv)- President of the European Commission (EC), Charles Michel
13 April 2022 (Kyiv)- President of Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis (EU, NATO); President of Republic of Latvia, Egils Levits (EU, NATO); President of Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda (EU, NATO); President of Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda (EU, NATO)
10 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Boris Johnson (NATO)
9 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Chancellor of Republic of Austria, Karl Nehammer (EU)
7 April 2022 (Kyiv)- President of the Brussels, Belgium-based European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen; High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EC, Josep Borrell Fontelles; Prime Minister of Slovak Republic, Eduard Heger (EU, NATO)
3 April 2022 (Odesa)- Minister Of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Nikoloas Dendias (EU, NATO)
1 April 2022 (Kyiv)- President of the Strasbourg, France-based European Parliament (EP), Roberta Metsola
17 March 2022 (Lviv)- Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu (NATO)
15 March 2022 (Kyiv)- Prime Minister of Czech Republic, Petr Fiala (EU, NATO); Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki (EU, NATO); Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Jansa (EU, NATO); Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, Jaroslaw Kaczynski (EU, NATO)
