Overview
- Archbishop Paul Gallagher flew to Moscow for a multi-day mission and met Russian officials, religious leaders and the local Catholic community as part of a 24–28 August visit.
- During a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, Aug. 25, Gallagher publicly urged that "this war must end" and called for conditions to begin genuine political and diplomatic talks.
- Gallagher and Lavrov agreed to expand cooperation on humanitarian matters, including assistance for children affected by the conflict and coordination on protecting civilians and prisoners of war.
- The Russian Foreign Ministry handed the Vatican a report alleging Kyiv’s unlawful actions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and pushed the Holy See to raise concerns about the treatment of Russian-language communities.
- Observers say the trip marks the first high-level, in-person Vatican–Russia diplomacy since 2021 and could preserve space for dialogue while differences on politics and church relations remain significant.