President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV on the Vatican on Might 18, following the pontiff's inauguration mass, he mentioned in a submit on social media.
"For tens of millions of individuals world wide, the Pontiff is a logo of hope for peace. The authority and voice of the Holy See can play an necessary function in bringing this warfare to an finish," Zelensky mentioned.
"We recognize the help for Ukraine and the clear voice in protection of a simply and lasting peace," he added.
The go to marked Zelensky's first in-person assembly with the brand new pope, previously Cardinal Robert Prevost, who was elected head of the Catholic Church on Might 8.
Throughout their assembly, Zelensky offered Pope Leo with a particular icon, "Mom of God with Youngster," painted on a fraction of a field that held heavy artillery. The icon was introduced from Izium, a Kharkiv Oblast city positioned about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the entrance line. A pregnant lady was killed in a Russian missile assault towards Izium in February of this yr.
The present represents youngsters "who suffered from the warfare, who had been intentionally kidnapped and deported by Russia and who’re very a lot awaited at dwelling in Ukraine," Zelensky mentioned.
The return of Ukraine's forcibly deported youngsters was among the many points Zelensky and Pope Leo mentioned throughout their first cellphone name on Might 12.
Throughout the inauguration mass, Zelensky was accompanied by First Woman Olena Zelenska and Presidential Workplace head Andriy Yermak.
The occasion drew 250,000 pilgrims and 156 overseas delegations, together with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who met Pope Francis shortly earlier than his demise.
A day earlier than the occasion, Rubio mentioned that the Vatican may function a impartial venue for future peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.
Talking in Rome earlier than his assembly with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vatican's envoy on Ukraine, Rubio famous that "either side could be comfy" holding talks there.
On Might 11, throughout his first public deal with, the pope mentioned he carried the "struggling of the beloved folks of Ukraine" in his coronary heart and referred to as for an "genuine and lasting peace."
Zelensky had his first cellphone name with Pope Leo XIV on Might 12, describing the dialog as "heat" and "substantive." On Might 18, the pontiff obtained a listing of Ukrainian prisoners of warfare held by Russia.
Earlier than changing into pope, Leo XIV denounced Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine whereas serving as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru. In a 2022 interview, he described it as "a real invasion, imperialist in nature, the place Russia seeks to beat territory for causes of energy."
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy