Head of the UGCC: Russian propaganda is active in the Vatican through official channels

The head of the UGCC, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, said that Russian propaganda in the Vatican is real and works effectively through official diplomatic channels. He stressed that the Holy See «for a long time did not realize the depth and scale of manipulations carried out even at such a high level, since diplomacy is traditionally built on trust». This was reported by Ukrinform.

Commenting on the influence of Russian information narratives on the international church and diplomatic community, Sviatoslav Shevchuk noted that the activity of the UGCC today has a clear international aspect, as most of its structures function outside Ukraine, which inevitably gives every pastoral visit a diplomatic character.

According to the head of the UGCC, for a long time the Vatican could not believe that propaganda could operate at the level of official diplomatic representatives. «They did not believe that the Russian ambassador to the Holy See could openly manipulate or simply deceive, because diplomacy is traditionally built on trust,» he explained.

He also noted that Russia is «producing new information narratives» that are presented in the form of simple formulas and messages aimed at a wide range of addressees. «These are peculiar information bullets that are fired at everyone and everywhere. We know very well what information-psychological operations are, but the Vatican for a long time did not perceive itself as a space where such a war is waged,» — said Shevchuk.

Recall, earlier Pope Leo XIV held talks with Vladimir Zelensky, which centered on achieving peace in the Russian-Ukrainian war. During an impromptu press conference at Castel Gandolfo, the pontiff also touched on the topics of future European security, peace initiatives and expressed cautious optimism about a possible visit to Kiev, while voicing concern about some aspects of US President Donald Trump’s plans.