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- They act on each other: The Vatican helps Russia in the return of Kuryans and prisoners
They act on each other: The Vatican helps Russia in the return of Kuryans and prisoners
Russia appreciates the Holy See's assistance in resolving acute humanitarian issues, including prisoner exchanges and the return of residents of the Kursk region, Russian Ambassador to the Vatican Ivan Soltanovsky told Izvestia. According to him, at the end of last year, the Vatican was preparing an indirect humanitarian contact between Russia and Ukraine, but it broke down due to logistical difficulties. Moscow and Kiev continue to prepare new exchanges: seven Kuryans are still in Ukraine, said Ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova. However, the negotiation process directly on a peaceful settlement due to the conflict in the Middle East has recently been put on pause. The Vatican has repeatedly offered to organize a platform for negotiations, but it cannot be called an absolutely impartial party, the Russian ambassador stressed. Experts also consider it unlikely that a new round of dialogue will take place here.
The role of the Vatican in prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine
The humanitarian sphere has become the only area in which tangible progress has been achieved following the talks between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul, Abu Dhabi and Geneva. According to official data, 2.3 thousand people returned to Russia in 2025, and 2.4 thousand to Ukraine. The parties have also repeatedly exchanged the bodies of the dead: the Russian Federation handed over 12,000 bodies to Ukraine, and received 200, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier. In early March, the parties conducted a prisoner exchange in the "500 for 500" format.
The Holy See is providing assistance in resolving acute humanitarian issues such as prisoner of war exchanges and the return of civilians to Russia, in particular those taken by the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the Kursk region, Russian Ambassador to the Vatican Ivan Soltanovsky told Izvestia.
"Russia appreciates this approach, and the Vatican's proposals are not ignored,— the diplomat stressed.
Recall that after the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the Kursk region in the summer of 2024, information appeared about the export of local residents to the territory of Ukraine. The Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, Tatiana Moskalkova, named a specific number of displaced persons — 165 people. According to her, Russia and Ukraine are preparing for another exchange of prisoners of war and civilians.
"I can confirm this figure: seven residents of the Kursk region are still in Ukraine," Moskalkova told Izvestia.
At the same time, some humanitarian initiatives could not be implemented. According to Ivan Soltanovsky, at the end of last year, a Russian-Ukrainian indirect contact was being worked out in the Vatican on a humanitarian line. However, a number of logistical difficulties, including the need for the Russian delegation to visit the EU (Italy), prevented this idea from being implemented.
Pope Leo XIV
The Vatican's contribution to resolving humanitarian issues was highlighted last year by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV.
For the Holy See, participation in humanitarian initiatives is a traditional phenomenon, since this is how the Vatican can participate in resolving global conflicts. He has no other resources, so such tools remain virtually the only way to participate, political analyst Stanislav Stremidlovsky told Izvestia.
Can the Vatican accept a new round of negotiations
Meanwhile, the negotiation process on Ukraine has stalled. The last meeting in the Russia–USA–Ukraine trilateral format was held on February 17-18 in Geneva. Izvestia previously wrote that there is no specific date and place for a new meeting yet, and the agenda has not been fully formulated. The Kremlin expects that the trilateral negotiations on Ukraine will continue after agreeing on the schedules of all parties, primarily the United States, said Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation.
The Holy See has repeatedly offered to act as a platform for negotiations on Ukraine, the Russian Ambassador to the Vatican said. However, the Vatican has not specifically addressed the Russian Embassy regarding the organization of negotiations in a trilateral format.
— We are aware of the Vatican's readiness to provide any assistance to the peace process. Their sincere wish is for the cessation of hostilities and a transition to dialogue," Soltanovsky said.
However, the Vatican still cannot be considered an absolutely impartial actor, the diplomat believes.
— In political terms, the Vatican understands much more deeply than the West the background and causes of ITS own, the complexity of the situation. It is also important to take into account that the conflict has a very complex religious component," the Russian Ambassador noted. "Unfortunately, many key issues of the crisis in Ukraine are related to the local dynamics of inter—Orthodox and inter—Christian relations. As it seems, the Vatican naturally could not afford to remain completely impartial here, due to its specifics.
The religious landscape of Ukraine makes the Vatican an interested party. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is subordinate to the Pope. Its leadership takes an anti-Russian position, which puts the pontiff in a difficult position: he cannot ignore the opinion of his faithful in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the Vatican maintains direct contacts with Moscow. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the papal envoy for the Ukrainian settlement, visited Moscow in 2023-2024. In September 2024, Sergey Lavrov held a meeting in New York with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. On June 4, 2025, Vladimir Putin had his first telephone conversation with newly elected Pope Leo XIV. The parties confirmed their desire to develop relations based on common spiritual values and to continue humanitarian cooperation.
Stanislav Stremidlovsky believes that negotiations in the Vatican on the Ukrainian settlement are an unlikely scenario. The Holy See values the confidentiality of the dialogue, while Ukrainian and Western representatives often share information with the press. Sergey Lavrov noted last year that it was a question of meeting representatives of the two Orthodox countries "on a Catholic platform," and this would be "not very comfortable" for the Vatican itself. Against this background, Switzerland remains the most likely option, as the armed conflict continues in the Middle East.
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