Vatican diplomacy blurs responsibility by treating Russian aggression as a mutual quarrel, undermining pressure for peace and legitimizing Moscow’s narrative.
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The Holy See’s diplomatic approach, exemplified by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher’s visit to Moscow and calls for “openness and goodwill” from both Russia and Ukraine, is criticized for placing the aggressor and victim on equal footing while ignoring clear evidence of Russian aggression. The author argues that this strategy diminishes international pressure on Moscow, blurs responsibility, and effectively legitimizes the Kremlin’s narrative that the conflict is a complex quarrel rather than an invasion. Despite acknowledging atrocities in Ukraine, Vatican diplomacy relies on abstract appeals for peace instead of confronting the reality of the invasion. The piece suggests the Vatican has significant moral authority but fails to use it to make the war politically costly for Russia by issuing vague statements that benefit Moscow’s propaganda efforts. True mediation requires speaking plainly about who is responsible, and maintaining moral equidistance in a war of aggression amounts to a diplomatic subsidy to the aggressor.
