Zelenskyy Tells Pope Leo XIV About Abducted Ukrainian Children in First Call
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that he had his first-ever conversation with newly elected Pope Leo XIV, describing it as “very warm and truly substantive.”
“I thanked him for supporting Ukraine and all our people,” Zelenskyy said.
“We greatly appreciate His Holiness’s words about the need to achieve a just and lasting peace for our country and the release of prisoners.”
A key topic of the call was the thousands of Ukrainian children deported by Russia. Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is counting on the Vatican’s assistance in returning them to their families.
The President also informed Pope Leo XIV of a new agreement reached with Ukraine’s international partners: a full, unconditional ceasefire is to begin today, lasting at least 30 days.
Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness for further negotiations “in any format,” including direct talks—something Kyiv has “repeatedly emphasized.”
“Ukraine wants to end this war and is doing everything for the sake of peace,” he stressed, while urging Russia to take reciprocal steps.
In a significant gesture, Zelenskyy invited the Pope to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine, saying such a visit would bring “true hope to all believers and all our people.”
The two leaders agreed to stay in touch and plan an in-person meeting shortly.
As The Gaze previously reported, 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.
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