Francis’s Final Diplomacy

The Vatican hosted more than just a funeral this weekend.

Ahead of paying their respects to the late pope, Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy sat down in their first face-to-face since February’s tense Oval Office exchange, meeting in St. Peter’s Basilica to talk about peace with Russia. 

Zelenskyy said the pair covered a lot of ground in their 15-minute talk, including: “Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.” Later, President Trump publicly criticized Putin for “shooting missiles into civilian areas,” questioning whether the Russian president even wanted the war to end before threatening additional sanctions.

Meanwhile, White House delegates were in Moscow for peace talks; the Kremlin said Russia is ready for direct talks with Ukraine “without preconditions.” 

Verse to consider whether you’re conducting high-level international diplomacy, stuck in the middle of a tense conflict at work, settling playground squabbles, or just trying to get your cat into his carrier… “Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry for help.” 
Psalm 34:14–15 (CSB) (read full passage)