The Vatican secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Paul Richard Gallagher, is scheduled to travel to Moscow on August 20, according to a report this Thursday by the Russian agency TASS citing a Vatican source. For the time being, the Holy See has not officially announced the trip or disclosed the agenda that the head of Vatican diplomacy would follow in Russia.
The possible visit would come just one month after Gallagher’s mission to Ukraine, where he traveled as a special envoy of Leo XIV on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the re-establishment of the structures of the Latin-rite Catholic Church in the country. During that stay he also held diplomatic meetings and addressed the humanitarian consequences of the war.
Gallagher would return to Russia for the first time since the start of the war
If confirmed, it would be Gallagher’s first official visit to Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. TASS reports that the trip is set for August 20, although it has not been disclosed which Russian officials he would meet or what specific issues would be on the agenda.
The journey takes on special relevance after the British diplomat’s recent presence in Ukrainian territory. During his July mission, Gallagher visited Lviv and Kyiv and held, among other meetings, talks with political authorities and Church leaders. On July 20 he met in the Ukrainian capital with President Volodymyr Zelensky and government representatives.
Leo XIV himself had sent Gallagher to Ukraine, asking for prayers for those suffering the consequences of the war and urging efforts toward peace. The Holy See has thus continued, under the new pontificate, a diplomatic and humanitarian activity aimed at keeping channels open with both Kyiv and Moscow.
Zuppi also preparing a new trip to Moscow
Gallagher’s possible visit would not be the only Vatican move toward Russia in the coming weeks. According to TASS, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, is also preparing a new trip to Moscow for September.
Zuppi was appointed by Pope Francis in 2023 to carry out a mission focused primarily on humanitarian issues arising from the war. Leo XIV has since maintained that mandate.
Among the matters addressed during these efforts are the exchange of prisoners and initiatives to facilitate the return of minors transferred as a result of the conflict. During his previous contacts with Moscow, the cardinal held talks with Russian authorities and with the office of the Russian commissioner for Human Rights.
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Leo XIV keeps channels open with Kyiv and Moscow
The two possible trips to Moscow illustrate the continuity of the Holy See’s diplomatic strategy regarding the war: keeping channels open with both sides and focusing much of its immediate efforts on humanitarian issues.
Since the beginning of his pontificate, Leo XIV has reiterated his calls for an end to the war and the pursuit of a just peace, while maintaining the diplomatic structures established during the pontificate of Francis.
Gallagher’s possible return to Moscow would, however, carry particular diplomatic significance. Unlike Zuppi, whose mission is specifically linked to humanitarian initiatives, Gallagher holds the highest position in the Holy See’s diplomacy for relations with States.
Therefore, his presence in the Russian capital would mark the resumption of high-level, on-the-ground contact after more than four years of war. For now, an official Vatican confirmation and details of the agenda planned for August 20 are still awaited.