Kiev’s terror, Orthodox Church persecution and Moscow-Vatican ties: Key points from Lavrov’s meeting with Holy See’s envoy

The Russian foreign minister hailed the Vatican’s “balanced” position on the Ukraine conflict and called bilateral ties “friendly” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has discussed the Ukraine conflict, Kiev’s persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and restrictions on the Russian language during talks with the Vatican’s top diplomat, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

Gallagher, who heads the Holy See’s diplomatic service, arrived in Moscow on Monday for a four-day visit.

The talks also covered the Middle East, Africa and other global hotspots, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Moscow and the Vatican also found common ground on protecting traditional values and discussed emerging issues such as artificial intelligence.

Here are the key takeaways from Lavrov’s remarks following the meeting: Ukraine conflict Read more Vatican envoy in Moscow: Why does the Holy See want a seat at the Ukraine talks table? Moscow praised what it described as the Vatican’s “balanced position” on the Ukraine conflict and briefed Gallagher on Russia’s approach to ending the hostilities by addressing what it calls their “root causes.” President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said Russia was forced to launch its military operation in Ukraine to protect civilians in the largely Russian-speaking Donbass.

Moscow has also long described Kiev’s deepening military cooperation with NATO as a major threat to Russian national security.

Lavrov also praised the Vatican’s involvement in humanitarian efforts linked to the conflict, including work to reunite children separated from their families. ’Blatant cruelty’ Read more Three minors dead after Ukrainian attack on childcare center – official Moscow has drawn the Vatican’s attention to what Lavrov called the “blatant cruelty” of Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilians.

He accused Kiev of striking civilian targets “on a daily basis,” including facilities where children were present.

Lavrov noted that yet another wave of Ukrainian strikes on several southern Russian regions early Monday killed three minors and injured six others at a childcare center in Krasnodar.

“We will [also] never forget and will seek justice for [Ukraine’s Vladimir] Zelensky’s bloody terror attack in Starobelsk ,” Lavrov said, referring to a May drone strike on a college dormitory in the Donbass city.

The attack killed 21 people, most of them teenage girls.

Read more Ukraine a Western-backed ‘Zelensky concentration camp’ – Moscow Russian language crackdown Lavrov accused Kiev of waging an unprecedented campaign against the Russian language and Russian culture.

Ukraine is the only country to have outright banned the Russian language, he claimed, arguing that no other state has gone as far in targeting Russian speakers.