Peace in Ukraine is still far away, says nuncio
The Vatican’s ambassador to Ukraine said society does not trust negotiations, pointing to the experience of previous international agreements.
In December 2025, the Vatican’s apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, told Avvenire that Ukrainian society does not believe a ceasefire is possible because it sees no real guarantees of a lasting and just peace.
He said Ukraine is marking a fourth Christmas in wartime, and hopes for a temporary cessation of hostilities have once again not been fulfilled. He noted that the Pope’s calls for a Christmas ceasefire produced no result. “If it is not possible to achieve a solid ceasefire, then at least a truce on such holidays as Christmas and Easter could strengthen the conditions for dialogue,” the archbishop said.
Speaking about negotiations, Kulbokas stressed that for Ukraine the issue is not so much territories as the very existence of the state. “Ukraine wants to exist; its people want to live. When people here speak of ‘victory’, it does not mean triumph, but survival,” he said, adding that peace must be genuine, not merely formal.
The nuncio also pointed to a deep public distrust of international arrangements. “We had the Budapest Memorandum, we had the Minsk agreements. These were agreements on paper – but what did they actually deliver?” he said.
Touching on the role of the Church, Archbishop Kulbokas said that amid a crisis of trust in international relations, it is precisely the Church that can help restore hope. “When there is no trust, who can restore it? In such a situation, the Church plays a decisive role – not only the Catholic Church, but all believers,” he said, emphasizing the importance of prayer and works of mercy.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that Stefanchuk warned the Vatican that Ukraine would not allow Russia to regroup.
