President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi gave To Pope Leo XIV, an icon painted on a fragment of a box from heavy artillery shells, which was brought from Izyum.
“Today, we handed over to Pope Leo XIV a special icon – “Mother of God with a baby”, written on a fragment of a heavy artillery box brought from Izyum. It is about our children. About those who suffered from the war, who were deliberately abducted and deported by Russia and who are eagerly awaited at home, in Ukraine.
We pray for the lives of all our deported children and hope for the support of the Vatican in this matter, so that everyone – both children and Ukrainian prisoners – will return home.” – said Zelenskyi.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska held a meeting with Pope Leo XIV after the inauguration mass in the Vatican. Zelensky emphasized that “the authority and voice of the Holy See can play an important role” in ending the war waged by Russia against Ukraine.
“We thank the Vatican for its willingness to become a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. We are ready for dialogue in any format for the sake of real results.” – concluded the President of Ukraine.
