Pope Leo XIV has had his third in-person meeting with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. They met at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo and, according to the Vatican Press Office, discussed the peace process for Ukraine.
Pope Leo stressed the need to keep dialogue open and said he hopes that ongoing diplomatic efforts will lead to a peaceful solution to the conflict with Russia.
During the meeting, Pope Leo also highlighted the treatment of prisoners of war and spoke of his desire that Ukrainian children be returned to their families as soon as possible.
Before coming to Rome, President Zelensky visited London and Brussels in an attempt to rally European support for a revised peace plan, one that reduces the original United States-drafted proposal from 28 to 20 points.
The Ukrainian President has made it clear he will not consider any plan that includes ceding territory to Russia. This and the demand for security guarantees, he says, are the primary conditions for reaching a peace agreement with Russia.
