Pope Leo XIV Reaffirms Support for Ukraine, Proposes Vatican as Venue for Peace Talks in Meeting With Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where the two discussed the ongoing war and the urgent need for a fair and lasting peace. The meeting took place during Zelenskyy’s visit to attend a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing on June 9.

According to the Vatican, this meeting touched on the possibility of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

The Vatican's statement emphasized that the Pope reaffirmed his commitment to dialogue as the best way to end the hostilities. 

"During the friendly conversation, the importance of dialogue as the best means to end hostilities was confirmed," the Vatican said. 

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The Pope expressed his sympathy for the victims of the war and reaffirmed his prayers and solidarity with the Ukrainian people, calling for efforts to free prisoners of war and find common solutions.

In a notable development, Pope Leo XIV confirmed his willingness to host representatives from both Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican for peace talks. This proposal, however, has yet to gain traction from Moscow.

Zelenskyy’s visit to Rome also included a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. In his Telegram post, Zelenskyy thanked the Pope for the conversation and the support extended to Ukraine, particularly for the efforts to assist Ukrainian children, including those recently returned from Russian captivity.

“Grateful for the meeting and very substantive conversation with Pope Leo XIV. We appreciate all the support and every prayer for peace in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote. 

“The proposal for leadership-level meetings in the Vatican remains open and absolutely possible to stop Russian aggression and achieve lasting peace. However, only Moscow rejects this proposal, just as it has rejected all other peace proposals,” President said.

He also acknowledged the Vatican's help in the rehabilitation and respite of Ukrainian children in Italy, emphasizing the importance of this hospitality. 

Zelenskyy further shared with the Pope the respect held by the Ukrainian people for the figure of Andrey Sheptytsky, especially for his role in rescuing Jews during World War II and defending the Christian faith.

The Ukrainian President also extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit Ukraine.

Previously, Pope Leo XIV called for an end to war after Russian massive attacks on Ukrainian cities.

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