Rome Newsroom, Jul 17, 2023 / 05:25 am
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Italian prelate tasked by Pope Francis to head a peace mission between Ukraine and Russia, is traveling to Washington, D.C., this week, the Vatican announced.
The announcement was followed by confirmation from the White House that Zuppi will meet with President Joe Biden to discuss issues related to the war in Ukraine.
The cardinal’s visit comes only weeks after the Biden administration announced it was sending an additional $800 million in weapons to aid Ukraine’s counteroffensive — including morally problematic “cluster bombs” that have been banned by most countries, including the Holy See.
Zuppi, who has already visited both Ukraine and Russia, will be in the U.S. capital from July 17–19 and will be accompanied by an official from the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.