Pope Urges Putin to Make 'Gesture' Showing Desire for Peace

Pope Leo XIV called on Russia to take measures to end the war in Ukraine during his first conversation with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to Vatican News.

Pope Leo XIV and Putin held a telephone conversation on Wednesday afternoon, in which they paid particular attention to the war in Ukraine. 

‘The Pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict,’ said Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni in a statement.

Pope Leo XIV and Putin also discussed current efforts to exchange prisoners and the value of the work being done in this area by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna. 

‘Pope Leo made reference to Patriarch Kirill, thanking him for the congratulations received at the beginning of his pontificate, and underlined how shared Christian values can be a light that helps to seek peace, defend life, and pursue genuine religious freedom,’ Bruni said.

Pope Leo XIV himself offered to provide the Vatican as a venue for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, an idea supported by Kyiv, European states and the United States.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other Russian officials said that the Vatican was not suitable for peace talks.

As The Gaze reported earlier, in his first Sunday address as the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV used his traditional midday blessing to issue a heartfelt plea for peace in Ukraine.