SW News: Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi is in Washington DC as part of the Holy See's peace and humanitarian measures for Ukraine. US President Joe Biden will meet with the peace envoy of the Holy Father and discuss the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia.

Cardinal Zuppi, who is also the head of the Italian bishops' conference, will be there through Wednesday. This visit follows his recent journey to Moscow and a previous stop in Kyiv, where he had a meeting with the president of Ukraine.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the two would discuss the widespread suffering caused by Russia's brutal war in Ukraine. They would also discuss efforts by the United States and Holy See to provide humanitarian aid to those affected, and the Holy See’s focus on repatriating Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russian officials.

The International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant in late March for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights Lvova-Belova. They were accused of abducting children from Ukraine. Russian officials denied these charges claiming some Ukrainian children are in foster care.

An official from the Vatican secretariat of state is also accompanying Cardinal Zuppi. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the cardinal is coming at the specific request of Pope Francis. Kirby referred to thousands of Ukrainian children that have been shipped off to concentration camps in Russia or Russian-occupied territory.

“The visit takes place in the context of the mission intended to promote peace in Ukraine and aims to exchange ideas and opinions on the tragic current situation and to support initiatives in the humanitarian sphere to alleviate the suffering of the most affected and fragile people, especially children,” the Vatican statement said.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, he has desisted from ostensibly condemning Moscow, part of the Vatican’s tradition of maintaining diplomatic neutrality.