Pope Francis says Vatican involved in ongoing effort to end Ukraine war

May 1 (UPI) -- Pope Francis has revealed that there is an ongoing peace mission involving the Vatican to secure an end to the war in Ukraine.

The head of the Catholic church disclosed the mission Sunday to reporters when asked about the possibility of being an intermediary between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's leadership.

"I am willing. I am willing to do whatever needs to be done," he said. "Also, there is a mission going on now, but it is not public yet."

"When it is public, I will talk about it."

The pontiff made the comment Sunday aboard the papal plane during a return flight to Rome from Hungary where he held discussions with Metropolitan Hilarion of the pro-Kremlin Russia Orthodox church and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Asked if Hilarion and Orban could become channels to open peace discussions with Moscow, the pope said he invites everyone to open relationships and "channels of friendship."

He also made the comment days after speaking at the Vatican with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal who had requested the papal's help in returning Ukrainian children who were forcibly removed to Russia.

Feilding questions on Shmyhal's request, Pope Francis said he believes the Holy See is willing to act.

"The Holy See is willing to act because it is right, it is just," he said. "It is a question of humanity before it is a question of the spoils of war or a displacement caused by war.

"All human gestures help, but gestures of cruelty do not help. We must do everything humanly possible."