Vatican diplomat visits Moscow amid Ukraine war

Vatican's top diplomat, Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, arrived in Moscow on August 24 for a four-day visit aimed at maintaining dialogue with Russian officials amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The trip, scheduled to conclude on August 28, places high-level Vatican diplomacy in direct contact with Moscow even as European leaders gathered in Kyiv to mark Ukraine's Independence Day. Archbishop Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States, is not scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. His itinerary includes meetings with key figures in the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church.