A high-ranking Vatican representative arrived in Moscow for the first time in five years and stated the need to end the war in Ukraine

A senior Vatican official called for an end to the war in Ukraine after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday. It was the first in-person meeting between Vatican and Russian officials in five years, UNN reports, citing Reuters.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, said that the four-year Russian-Ukrainian war, which continues every day, "creates new victims... and makes future reconciliation increasingly difficult."

"Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to put an end to the conflict," he said, speaking alongside Lavrov at a joint press conference after the meeting.

He also said that he and Lavrov had discussed ways to achieve peace in Ukraine and agreed to cooperate on humanitarian issues, such as helping children affected by the war.

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Gallagher, the Vatican’s second-highest-ranking diplomatic representative, last visited Moscow for talks with Lavrov in 2021, before the war began.

Pope Leo has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict. In his August 9 address, he expressed regret over the "steadily growing number of civilian casualties, including children."

On Tuesday, Gallagher said that the Vatican "will continue its strong spiritual, diplomatic and humanitarian support, making its contribution and providing a platform for dialogue" with the aim of ending the war, which has been ongoing for 4.5 years.