(OSV News) — The apostolic nuncio to Ukraine expressed his support for initiatives that will 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.
In a statement published June 5 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 authorized 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.”
War remembered by history as Putin’s ‘personal choice,’ Zelenskyy says
In his open letter, Zelenskyy commented on the full-scale invasion that began in 2022, noting that history will remember it as 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 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.
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, Putin said at a meeting with foreign journalists June 5 that he was “certainly prepared and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine.”
The Kremlin said that although Putin was aware of the open letter, he had not reviewed Zelenskyy’s proposals, Reuters reported.
Nuncio: willingness to meet ‘step in the right direction.’
Nevertheless, Putin said compromises were needed before reaching any peace deal, likely referring to Russia’s demand that Ukraine surrender the eastern Donbas region. Zelenskyy has said in the past that Ukraine would not cede any territory to Russia.
While it is not certain if the Russian president will agree to Zelenskyy’s proposal to meet, Archbishop Kulbokas told SIR that even a willingness to meet was a step in the right direction.
“What might emerge from declarations regarding willingness to meet? We don’t know yet, but it’s encouraging to see that the Kremlin, too, has declared its willingness to engage in dialogue,” Archbishop Kulbokas said. “Pope Leo often repeats this: It’s important to seek peace even with unarmed words, because these, in turn, lay the foundation for political dialogue.”
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Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.
