Pope Leo XIV received on Wednesday at his residence in Castel Gandolfo, in southern Rome, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to whom he offered the Vatican as a venue for negotiations with Moscow, which Kiev accuses of rejecting this and other offers to achieve peace.
So far, the headquarters for direct talks between Ukraine and Russia have been held in the Turkish city of Istanbul, which has already hosted two meetings on May 16 and June 2, with a third one pending confirmation by the parties.
How was the meeting between the Pope and the Ukrainian president?
Both leaders addressed “the ongoing conflict and the urgent need for a just and lasting peace,” as reported by the Vatican in a statement, which emphasized “the importance of dialogue” to “put an end to hostilities.”
In addition, the pontiff expressed his “regret for the victims” and renewed “his prayer and closeness to the Ukrainian people”, encouraging to make “every possible effort to release the prisoners and find shared solutions”.
On his part, Zelensky thanked the hospitality of Pope Leo XIV, as well as the proposal to hold negotiations in the Vatican. “It is absolutely possible,” said the Ukrainian president, who blames Russia for having rejected “this and all other offers to achieve peace.”
The Ukrainian leader thanked the Pope for his support to the Ukrainian children who have arrived in Italy after going through the “Russian captivity” and where they “have the opportunity to recover and rest” before returning to Ukraine. “That hospitality and sincerity are extremely important,” Zelensky emphasized.
Similarly, the President of Ukraine highlighted the efforts that the Vatican is making so that the rest of the “Ukrainian children kidnapped in Russia” can return to their homes and concluded his message with an invitation for the Pope to visit Ukraine.
Russia launches the largest attack against Ukraine
On the same day as the meeting between León XIV and Zelensky, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported the largest drone and missile attack against the country by Russia since the invasion began in February 2022, with more than 700 drones and seven cruise missiles intercepted by air defense systems.
So far, Ukrainian authorities have not reported any victims or damages.