Andrii Yurash is the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See. March 3 marks one year since he arrived in Rome. He is optimistic about the end of the war because the Ukrainian armies have already regained Kharkiv and Kherson.
ANDRII YURASH
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See
It was very dramatic predictions before the war because a majority of experts, even politicians, were speaking that Ukraine has three, four days to exist since the beginning of invasion. But it's already one year, more than one year after the beginning and we are became not weaker but even much stronger.
The Ambassador is grateful for the support he has received from other European countries, Canada and Taiwan. He is especially thankful for the generous actions of Slovenia and Croatia—two countries that hung Ukrainian flags on the façade of their embassies to the Holy See on the anniversary of the invasion.
ANDRII YURASH
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See
Ukrainian flag became very, very close to the Russian flags. So it was visible sign how Slovenia particularly, and His Excellency, Ambassador Jakob Štunf, very close to my country. And it was a visible sign for Russians even here, even very close to San Pietro Square.
Ambassador Yurash is asking for the Vatican's mediation to help bring the Ukrainian children abducted by the Russian army under the pretext of protecting them back to Ukraine. Just last week, a group of parliamentarians from the country came to Rome to ask the same of Pope Francis.
ANDRII YURASH
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See
More than 700,000 Ukrainian children right now are taken to the Russian territory, deported in different ways. Some of them with their families, but some just were stolen in different forms and now are located in different, I would say, special camps for re-educating them.
Children is the future of any country. Our children is the future of our country of Ukraine. Surely we want to bring back our future.
The Ambassador believes that it is very possible that Pope Francis will visit his country. He says if and when the Pope announces it, the Ukrainian people are ready for it.
ANDRII YURASH
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See
We will be very happy and ready to help realize this visit as quick as possible. Even if tomorrow the Holy Father will express his wish to come to Ukraine, we will be ready to provide in several days or even the next day.
For the moment, it seems that the thing standing in the way of a papal visit to Ukraine is an invitation to Moscow as Pope Francis has said he would only visit one country if he could visit the other as well.
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