Pope's reaction to attacks in Ukraine and call for peace

The Pope, who performed the traditional Sunday prayer from the window of his office overlooking St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, touched upon the developments in the Russia-Ukraine War in his speech after the prayer.

Pope Leo XIV said, "I have recently followed with sadness the news of violent attacks targeting various cities and civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, causing the loss of innocent lives." he said.

Stating that his thoughts are with the Ukrainian people, who have been in anxiety and fear for years, the Pope said, "I call once again to end the violence, stop the destruction, and open hearts to dialogue and peace." he said.

Referring anonymously to the contacts of US President Donald Trump's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner yesterday in Russia's capital Moscow and today in Ukraine's capital Kiev regarding the solution of the Ukrainian crisis, the Pope said, "I hope that the efforts carried out these days to restart the negotiations will yield concrete results and open space for diplomacy." he said.