Pope Francis confirms secret Vatican mission in Ukraine (msn.com) Pope Francis confirmed Sunday that the Vatican is involved in a secret peace "mission" aimed to return Ukrainian children who were moved to Russia during the war between the two nations. "I’m available to do anything," Francis said during a press conference. "There’s a mission that’s not public that’s underway. When it’s public, I’ll talk about it." Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Thursday he asked the pope for assistance in this effort to bring his country's children back home. "I asked the Vatican and the Holy Father for help in getting back children taken by force by Russia," Shmyhal told reporters.
if the Ukrainian counter-offensive is successful in the next few days, Russia may lose patience and start using its tactical nuclear arsenal or even weapons based on new principles that Medvedev alluded to in September last year. A concrete proposal for peace to be viable is running out fast.
