Nuncio in Ukraine: in such a horrible war, there is nothing left but hope

On Monday, February 24, Ukraine celebrates three years of resistance against Russian invasion. According to UN data, more than 12,600 civilians have died from the conflict, including more than 2400 children. In addition, more than 10% of homes have been damaged or destroyed causing more than two million displaced families.

While the conflict intensifies, the uncertainty about the future continues to mark the life of the Ukrainians. In this context, the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, Mons. Visvaldas Kulbokas, emphasizes that, despite pain and devastation, hope remains the only refuge for those who suffer from war.

“Pope Francis has proclaimed the jubilee year of hope, and in such a horrible war, there is only hope. Military chaplains tell us that the soldiers appreciate any message of hope, because it is the only thing they have left, ”says Mons. Kulbokas in an interview with ACI Press.

From the Apostolic Nunciature in kyiv, he describes a country marked by suffering. “This weekend, on the occasion of the third anniversary of the war, we have many visits and acts. For us, however, it is not an outstanding date, because every day is a day of war, ”he says.

The normalization of the conflict has led the Ukrainians to adapt psychologically to violence. “I remember the first weeks of 2022, when the bishops spoke with drama, not knowing if they were going to live the next day. Now we have more psychological peace to live with, although war is more intense and dramatic than at the beginning, ”he explains.

However, the day to day is still shocking. “I don’t remember the last night without a drone attack. Missile bombings are more sporadic, but drones attacks occur daily, ”he laments.

One of the aspects that most worries the Apostolic Nuncio is the situation of prisoners of war and civil detainees in Russian territory. “Thousands of prisoners suffer subhuman conditions,” he denounces.

Remember, for example, Ludmila’s testimony, a 60 -year -old woman who spent almost three years in a Russian prison. “For weeks she was tortured without letting her sleep, to the point of not distinguishing the truth from lies. He ended up signing documents without knowing what he was doing, ”he says.

The lack of mechanisms for the liberation of civilians aggravates even more the crisis. “For the military there is an exchange system, but for civilians not. His situation is much more desperate, ”he warns.

Given this bleak panorama, he emphasizes that Vatican diplomacy has had a fundamental role in the humanitarian field. For example, in parallel to the Bring Kids Back UA international initiative, the Holy See has discreetly achieved, bringing back several dozens of children deported by Russian occupation forces.

In these three years of war, says Mons. Kulbokas, Pope Francis has managed to establish a kind of mechanism to negotiate the return to Ukraine of many children deported to Russia by the occupation forces.

The president of the Italian bishops, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, envoy of Pope Francis to work for Peace in Ukraine, has had a fundamental role in this mission, as revealed to ACI Press.

“Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, envoy of Pope Francis, maintains contact with the Ukrainian and Russian authorities to address the issue of deported children and prisoners. The process is slow, since sometimes it takes months to obtain information about minors, ”explains Mons. Kulbokas.

However, with civil detainees, efforts run into a fundamental obstacle: “Russia considers many of them Russian citizens, which hinders the application of international structures for their release. The only way is persuasion, dialogue with the Russian authorities to demonstrate that these people are civil and must be released. ”

The role of the international community and the future of war

Mons. Kulbokas criticizes the inefficiency of the international community to find a solution to the conflict. “There are no international structures capable of solving the war. At the beginning, Europe could think that this conflict was not its problem, but when wars are not taken seriously, the conflict grows. If wars do not stop from the beginning, then it is too late. ”

Despite the rawness of the conflict, the Apostolic Nuncio maintains hope in a diplomatic solution. “To give the conditions that put a serious negotiation on the table, it is necessary that it is not just one or two world actors that decide. Peace in Ukraine must be a matter of the entire international community. If we let only the greats in the world decide, I have no doubt that the solution will not be fair, ”he says.

Meanwhile, Ukraine faces a growing uncertainty about the support of the United States, the country that has supported it in these years. Donald Trump’s administration has intensified its rhetoric against Ukrainian President, Volodimir Zelenski, with threats and decisions that seem to be directed towards an agreement with the Kremlin to end the conflict.

The Vatican diplomat avoids entering controversies about Trump’s statements, who has even held Ukraine for war. “The faithful Catholics in Ukraine feel that they cannot trust politicians, because they say one day and another to the next. What they expect from the Church is a clear moral position: that aggression is not justified and life is defended, ”he says.

In this regard, Mons. Kulbokas insists that the mission of the Church is another: “The important thing is to proclaim the Gospel, which is life, peace, respect and justice.”

Despite uncertainty and pain, the Vatican diplomat reiterates that international mediation is the only solution. “If we let only the greats decide, the solution will not be fair. The only hope is for the international community to join this and other wars, ”he concludes.