"Pope Engages with Russian Ambassador for Ukraine Peace Mission"

Russia's new ambassador to the Vatican, Ivan Soltanovsky, met with Pope Francis for a protocol visit, marking the official start of his term. This comes as signs indicate that the Vatican's Ukraine peace envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, may soon undertake a second mission to Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed readiness to meet with Zuppi again, and the Vatican confirmed that the papal envoy would return to Russia soon. Zuppi's initial mandate focused on reuniting Ukrainian children taken to Russia after the invasion, but discussions during his recent meeting in Beijing also touched on the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine's Black Sea ports. Pope Francis has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict, seeking dialogue with both Ukraine and Russia.