U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today in Rome with Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States. Rubio also met with Papal Envoy for Ukraine Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. On the agenda were the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in the Middle East.
The State Department readout reports “they reaffirmed the strong partnership between the United States and the Holy See and discussed our shared commitment to ending the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East…. Secretary Rubio also met with Cardinal Zuppi to discuss the urgent need to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The Secretary expressed appreciation for the Vatican’s important humanitarian role, including facilitating prisoner exchanges and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. He emphasized the importance of continued collaboration under the new leadership of Pope Leo XIV.”
