The head of the Bishops' Conference of Italy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, will pay a visit to Kyiv on June 5-6 as a papal envoy to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. This is reported by the press service of the Holy See on its website.

"June 5-6, 2023, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi... will visit Kiev as an envoy of the Holy Father Francis," the message says.

It is noted that the main goal of this initiative is to carefully listen to the Ukrainian authorities about possible ways to achieve a just peace and support humane gestures that help ease tensions.

On June 5, press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov was asked by journalists at a briefing about a possible visit to Russia by the head of the Episcopal Conference of Italy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, as an envoy of the Pope. Peskov replied that at present there is no information about such a visit. The Kremlin spokesman also said that Moscow knew that Zuppi would go to Kyiv first.