VATICAN (CNS): Pope Leo XIV reiterated his willingness to host representatives of Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican for peace negotiations at a meeting with Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on July 9.
“During the cordial conversation, the importance of dialogue as the preferred means of ending hostilities was reaffirmed,” the Vatican press office said in a communique released after the meeting.
The two leaders met in the early afternoon at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo, southeast of Rome, for their 30-minute closed-door meeting.
Pope Leo spoke to Zelenskyy about “the ongoing conflict and the urgent need for a just and lasting peace,” the Vatican communique said.
“The Holy Father expressed his sorrow for the victims and renewed his prayers and closeness to the Ukrainian people, encouraging every effort aimed at the release of prisoners and the search for shared solutions,” it said.
“The Holy Father reiterated the willingness to welcome representatives of Russia and Ukraine to the Vatican for negotiations,” it added.
Outside the villa after the meeting, Zelenskyy told Vatican Media reporters that “we really count on” the pope’s offer to host a meeting of “high-level leaders to finish this war.”
Speaking in English he said, “I am very grateful to his holiness for this meeting, for hosting us, and of course for his help,” and the Vatican’s help, not only with prayers, but also in trying “to get back our children, stolen children by Russia during this war. This is a very important question; we spoke about it.”
He stressed, “We want peace, we want this war to be finished.”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Zelenskyy said the proposal for high-level talks at the Vatican “remains open and entirely possible with the goal of stopping Russian aggression and achieving a stable, lasting and genuine peace. At present, only Moscow continues to reject this proposal, as it has turned down all other peace initiatives.”
He wrote in is post, “We will continue to strengthen global solidarity so that diplomacy can still succeed,” saying he also invited the pope to visit Ukraine.
Before Zelenskyy departed, Pope Leo told him it was a “pleasure to see you. You are in my prayers.”
