Ukraine formally requested the Vatican to recognize its role in negotiating the return of Ukrainian children and civilians taken by Russia during the conflict.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent a letter to Pope Leo XIV urging official acknowledgment of the mission led by Pope Francis and Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi as a personal envoy.Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk highlighted the importance of the Holy See's mediation amid ongoing prisoner exchanges and the lack of formal procedures affecting civilian returns.