Cardinal Matteo Zuppi ready to visit Ukraine soon - Yermak

President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi has expressed his desire to visit Ukraine in the near future.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak announced this on his Telegram channel following a phone call with the cardinal, Ukrinform reports.

Yermak thanked Zuppi for his great efforts in returning Ukrainian teenager Bohdan Yermokhin to his homeland. The teenager had been illegally deported to Russia by occupiers from the captured city of Mariupol.

"I greatly appreciate everything you are doing. You are a true friend of Ukraine, and I hope that under your leadership, we will be able to bring many children back to Ukraine," Yermak said.

He also noted that an international coalition to return Ukrainian children illegally deported to Russia was initiated at the third national security advisors' meeting held in Malta.