For Peace: Ukraine Invites the Pope to Visit

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal invited Pope Francis to visit Ukraine, requesting assistance in the return of thousands of children taken to Russia or occupied territories. In a press conference in Rome, he stated, "I asked His Holiness for help in bringing back the Ukrainian children who are being held and taken to Russia in a criminal manner." Kyiv estimates that around 19,500 children have been transferred to Russia or to the Russian-occupied Crimea since February last year, which it condemns as illegal deportation. Moscow, for its part, denies abducting the children, stating that they were relocated for their safety. Shmyhal added, "We discussed the Ukrainian peace formula and the possibilities of establishing a path and receiving assistance from His Holiness and the Vatican to achieve all elements of the peace formula presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky." It is worth noting that the Pope has expressed a desire to visit Kyiv and Moscow on a mission for peace.