Lavrov Complained To The Vatican About Ukraine, But Things Didn't Go As Planned

The Russian foreign minister lied.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov lied to the Vatican’s head of diplomacy, Paul Richard Gallagher, claiming that human rights—including religious rights—are being violated in Ukraine.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine.

“I asked the Vatican representative to what extent they respect these same human rights, particularly religious rights. And he said that this is not good,” Lavrov stated, though he provided no evidence to support his claim.

Moreover, the Russian diplomat added that he had asked Gallagher, during subsequent contacts with Ukraine, to “send a message” to Kyiv.

Against this backdrop, Lavrov recalled that the Vatican’s head of diplomacy had recently visited the Ukrainian capital.

Despite this, Gallagher allegedly did not convey any complaints or messages from Moscow to the Ukrainian side because, according to him, he did not have enough time.

“And I asked whether they had raised these issues, since the Vatican follows all developments in the global religious community and across all world religions. And they couldn’t have been unaware of what was happening... He admitted that he didn’t have enough time,” Lavrov said.

What is known about the Vatican’s foreign minister’s position on Ukraine

Paul Richard Gallagher has never publicly voiced direct criticism of Ukraine, such as claims that Ukrainian authorities systematically violate human rights or persecute believers.

On the contrary, his public statements regarding Ukraine have mainly focused on supporting peace, humanitarian aid, and the need to end the war. For example, in February 2025, Gallagher called for an end to the war in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of dialogue and humanitarian efforts.

In September 2025, during the UN General Assembly, he called the war in Ukraine one of the most painful crises and stated the need for it to end. At the same time, Gallagher spoke about protecting the civilian population and respecting international humanitarian law, but did not accuse Ukraine of human rights violations.

Interestingly, in July 2026, Gallagher himself visited Ukraine, specifically Kyiv and Berdychiv. Vatican News described his trip as a mission during which he spoke about the suffering of Ukrainians and the need to establish peace.

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