Biden to meet with pope’s Ukraine peace envoy, with the plight of children top of cardinal’s agenda

By NICOLE WINFIELD and ZEKE MILLER
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis’ peace envoy will meet with President Joe Biden in Washington this week as part of the Holy See’s peace initiatives for Ukraine. The White House and Vatican made the announcement on Monday. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi’s visit on Tuesday will last through Wednesday, and follows his recent mission to Moscow and an earlier stop in Kyiv, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed Biden would meet with Zuppi on Wednesday to “discuss the widespread suffering caused by Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. They will also “discuss efforts by the United States and Holy See to provide humanitarian aid to those affected, and the Papal See’s focus on repatriating Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russian officials.”