President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi held a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the papal residence near Rome. About this reported on the official website of the Vatican.
During the conversation, Pope Leo XIV informed Zelensky about his readiness to receive representatives of Russia and Ukraine in the Vatican for negotiations. The statement states that the pontiff also discussed “the urgent need for a just and lasting peace” with the president of Ukraine.
Zelensky thanked Pope Leo XIV for his warm welcome and support – both spiritual and practical – and noted the importance of the topics raised during the dialogue. In particular, he emphasized the issue of the return to Ukraine of children kidnapped by Russia during the war, stressing its critical importance. The President also noted that the main topic of the meeting was the war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
“Of course we want this war to end, and of course we are very much counting on the Vatican, that the Vatican and His Holiness will help us with a place to meet at a high level to end this war.”, – emphasized Zelensky.
We will remind you that on July 9, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Rome as part of the participation in the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine. The event will take place on July 10 and 11. The conference will be attended, in particular, by the American delegation led by the US President’s Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg. Among the participants are also the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.
