Pope Francis is concerned that international attention is being diverted from Russia’s nearly two-year war against Ukraine, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the two sides are locked in what has been described as a war of attrition, amid fears that Western support for Kyiv could weaken as the conflict drags on.

In a letter to the head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Francis expressed his regret that “in the conditions of an increasingly tragic international situation, the war in Ukraine risks being forgotten,” the church said in a statement.

It cites the Pope’s response to a letter from Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who expressed similar concerns about the war, and informed him on December 29 of Russian airstrikes, the largest since the conflict began.

According to the statement, Francis said the attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure were “vile, unacceptable and cannot be justified in any way” and called on the international community and all those involved in the conflict to seek peaceful solutions.

The Pope has consistently advocated peace, numerous appeals to “martyr Ukraine”, but has faced criticism in some Ukrainian circles for his reluctance to openly criticize Russia, especially at the beginning of the war.

Pope Francis also sent a special emissary of peace, the Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kyiv, Moscow, Washington and Beijing, and instructed him to help repatriate Ukrainian children from Russia and Russian-occupied territories.

Russia has said it is ready for peace talks if Ukraine takes “new realities” into account, implying recognition that Russia controls about 17.5 percent of Ukraine’s territory.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, rejected any thoughts about Moscow’s interest in the negotiations.