Ukraine PM invites Pope Francis while seeking help to repatriate thousands of children

Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, said he has sent an invitation to Pope Francis to visit the country and asked for help to bring back thousands of children taken to Russia and occupied areas. 

Denys Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine on Thursday, April 27, has announced that he has invited Pope Francis to visit the war-torn country.  

While sending the invitation, Shmyhal also asked the pope to help Ukraine bring back thousands of children who have been taken to Russia and areas occupied by Russia, since the start of the invasion.  

In a statement cited by Reuters, Shmyhal said, “I asked his holiness for help in returning home Ukrainian children who are being held, arrested, deported to Russia in a criminal way”.  

As per estimates by Ukraine, over 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or the occupied region of Crimea, since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.  

However, these accusations have been denied by Russia, as officials claim that the children have been “transported away for their own safety”.  

Shmyhal also said that “We discussed the (Ukrainian) peace formula, and a potential path and assistance from his holiness and the Vatican to achieve all the steps of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace formula”.  

This invitation by the Ukrainian Prime Minister comes as the 86-year-old Pope Francis previously stated that he wanted to visit Kyiv and Moscow on a peace mission.