Pope Leo XIV calls Zelensky, urges help for besieged civilians
The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, days after a similar call with President Vladimir Putin.
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Pope Leo XIV held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Vatican said, according to Euronews.
During the call, the Pope urged humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, the National Catholic Reporter said. He appealed for efforts to save civilians trapped in a besieged, hungry city, telling Zelensky "let's save the civilians of the starving city," Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.
The call came three days after Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian outlet LIGA.net reported.
Details of the city referred to by the Pope, and of any other matters discussed in the call, were not given in the available reports.
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What we know
- Pope Leo XIV held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Vatican confirmed.
- The Pope urged humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Russia and appealed to save civilians in a besieged, hungry city, according to La Stampa.
- The call came three days after Pope Leo XIV spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, LIGA.net reported.
Not yet confirmed
- The identity of the besieged city referred to by the Pope was not specified in the available reports.
Why it matters for Europe
A papal call to both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders within days of each other signals continued Vatican efforts to open a humanitarian channel in the war, at a time when diplomatic contacts between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington are also under way.
Sources
Reported by 5 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Euronews: Pope Leo XIV holds call with Zelenskyy, Vatican says
- National Catholic Reporter: Pope Leo XIV urges humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Russia during call with Zelenskyy
- LIGA.net: Pope Leo XIV spoke with Zelenskyy three days after his call with Putin
- La Stampa: Il Papa chiama Zelensky:“Salviamo i civili della città affamata”
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- Who did the Pope speak to?
- Pope Leo XIV held phone calls with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, days apart.
- What did the Pope ask for?
- He urged humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Russia and appealed to save civilians in a besieged, hungry city, according to La Stampa.
- Which city was the Pope referring to?
- This was not specified in the available reports.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.