Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher met President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 20, concluding his five-day mission to Ukraine as Pope Leo XIV's special envoy.
During the visit, Archbishop Gallagher laid roses at the Maidan Memorial, founded to commemorate the 2013 and 2014 demonstrations that resulted in the removal of the pro-Russian president and were followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
During talks with the acting Foreign Minister, Andrij Sybiha, the Holy See called for a lasting, just peace, reaffirming its closeness to Ukraine. The remarks echoed the prayer of Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi in Kyiv on July 15, the day after a Russian missile attack on the city, in which he prayed for a “just peace”.
