Pope Francis has said he’s offered to travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to help bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine, but he hasn’t gotten any response from the Kremlin.

The pope detailed his request in an interview published by Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra yesterday.

Francis said he sent the request via Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, in the middle of March. Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

“I asked Cardinal Parolin to convey my message to Putin, that I was ready to travel to Moscow,” he told the newspaper. “For sure, I was waiting for some kind of opening gesture from the Kremlin leader. We received no answer whatsoever, but we keep pressing them on this issue.

“I fear, however, that Putin cannot, or does not want to agree to our meeting at the moment. But how can you not try and do whatever you can to stop the atrocities? Twenty-five years ago, we saw something similar happening in Rwanda.”

Relations between the Catholic Church and Russia have been strained for centuries after the Russian Orthodox Church separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 11th century.

The pontiff also said he’d hoped to work together with Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, but was disappointed by the justifications for the war he heard during a virtual call in March.

In the interview, Pope Francis also seemed to imply that NATO is partly responsible for Russia’s aggressive campaign in Ukraine – by expanding eastward and “barking at Russia’s gate”.

Moscow has said several times that it views Eastern European nations joining the defensive alliance, such as Estonia and Latvia, as a threat to Russian security. Although not former Soviet republics, Sweden and Finland have also recently indicated a desire to join NATO and Ukraine has a working relationship with the group.

Pope Francis also said that he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last month, and that the leader believed the war could end this month.

“When I met Orban, he told me that the Russians have a precise plan, and that the war will end on May 9,” he told the Italian newspaper. “I sure hope so. I have a bad feeling about it all. I’ll admit, I’m very pessimistic. However, it is our duty to do all we can to stop the war.”

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof

Two leading books on electronic evidence by Hon. Justice Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Rtd., PhD, FICMC, are now available for purchase. The publications, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition), With The Evidence Act, 2011 and Compendium Of Cases On Electronic Evidence, Volume II, 2020–2025, provide practical guidance, legal analysis and recent judicial authorities on electronic evidence in Nigeria.Order directly from the author here: https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/ _______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion. Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. _______________________________________________________________________