Pope Expresses Concern Over Ukraine's Suffering; Zelenskyy Asks for Help
On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV mentioned Ukraine's suffering; President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to his words and called for help in returning Ukrainians held captive by Russia.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to the official pages of the Pope and Zelenskyy on the X network.
‘I want to express my closeness to suffering Ukraine, to children, young people, the elderly and, especially, to families mourning their loved ones. I share your pain for the captives and victims of this senseless war,’ the Pontiff said in a statement in Ukrainian.
A few hours later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the post, thanking the Pope for his ‘constant prayers and sympathy for Ukraine and our people.’
"Together, we must stop this arbitrary Russian aggression and protect innocent lives. We need a just peace. We will also be deeply grateful for your help in returning all our people — adults and children — who are being held in Russian captivity against their will," Zelenskyy wrote.
As The Gaze reported earlier, in his first conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in early June, Leo XIV called on him to ‘make a gesture towards peace.’
The Pope also offered the Vatican as a venue for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. This idea was supported by Kyiv, European states and the United States, but Moscow refused.