Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reached out to Pope Leo XIV in their first telephone conversation on Monday, extending an invitation for the pontiff to visit Ukraine.
Zelensky posted on social media that he invited “His Holiness to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine,” underscoring the potential for such a visit to inspire hope among believers and the wider population.
The dialogue also covered the plight of thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia. Zelensky expressed hope that the Vatican would play a crucial role in their repatriation. The pope, who recently urged an end to war from St. Peter’s Basilica, echoed calls for a “just and lasting peace,” continuing the peace advocacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Despite past frustrations over Francis’s perceived neutrality, Kyiv acknowledged the Vatican’s mediation in prisoner exchanges and child returns. Zelensky also revealed plans for a future face-to-face meeting to discuss a ceasefire initiative involving Ukraine and its allies.
