Pope Leo XIV speaks with Zelensky by phone about a truce to allow humanitarian aid to reach Oleshki

Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone this Monday with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he addressed the "serious situation" in the city of Oleshki, in the province of Kherson, and recalled the request for a ceasefire.

As reported by the Office of the Holy See in a statement, Leo XIV has referred to his request for a truce to allow the entry of humanitarian aid to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, with whom the Pontiff also spoke by telephone on Friday.

The Pope has also expressed to Zelensky his hope that cooperation between both parties will allow the arrival of food and medical aid, as well as the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population. Likewise, he has reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to dialogue and peace.

For his part, Zelensky wished the Pope a "complete and speedy recovery" after his surgery for a malignant lung tumor and thanked him for "remembering Ukraine and praying for our people."

In a message on the social network

"Of course, we also discussed all current security challenges and threats, including the periodic lack of warnings from our partners about Russian ballistic missile attacks," Zelensky added.

The Pope has already maintained several contacts with the Ukrainian president during his pontificate. The first time they spoke was on May 12, 2025, four days after the conclave in which Leo XIV was elected Pope. Since then, they have met in person or spoken on the phone five other times.