Zelensky Extends Invitation to Pope Leo XIV for Ukraine Visit

During their first phone conversation, President Volodymyr Zelensky and Pope Leo XIV touched on several issues, including “the thousands of Ukrainian children deported by Russia,” Zelensky noted, adding that Kyiv was relying on the Vatican’s assistance to help bring the children back home.

“I invited His Holiness to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine. Such a visit would bring real hope to all believers, to all our people,” Zelensky shared in a social media post.

The Pope, addressing a crowd gathered at St Peter’s Basilica for his first public prayer on Sunday, proclaimed, “No more war!”

He also called for a “genuine, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, echoing the sentiments expressed by his predecessor, Francis.

Although Francis never visited Ukraine, his approach had drawn criticism for not explicitly condemning Russia’s actions and for suggesting that Ukraine should raise the “white flag.”

Nevertheless, Kyiv acknowledged the Vatican’s involvement in negotiating prisoner swaps and facilitating the return of children taken from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia.

Zelensky further mentioned that he briefed Pope Leo on a collaborative ceasefire proposal involving Ukraine and its partners, and that both sides agreed to “plan an in-person meeting in the near future.”