Ukraine Accuses Vatican Of "Taking Russian Money" - Vatican Denies

Francis cannot be a mediator in the Ukrainian war because he is “pro-Russian” and “not credible,” Mykhailo Podolyak, chief advisor to Ukrainian's Zelensky, told 24tv.ua. He also referred to alleged Russian investments in the Vatican Bank.

The Vatican Bank categorically denied the accusations on Saturday underlining that it doesn’t receive nor invest any money from Russia.

The bank with 117 employees accepts only clients without close relationship to the Church (13,000 in total). It has assets of $8B. The Banca Popolare di Bari, which in 2022 was considered "the smallest bank in Europe" has €14.25B.

Podolyak has started anti-Vatican propaganda after Francis called Russian Catholics, most of them of Polish origin, “heirs of the great Mother Russia”, citing as an example Catherine II (+1796), who was German.

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