Pope Appeals to Putin for Peace in Ukraine During Phone Call
Pope Leo XIV made a direct appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, urging meaningful steps toward peace amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and escalating humanitarian concerns.
The Vatican described the phone call as “frank and focused on the urgency of dialogue,” highlighting the Pope’s emphasis on reducing tensions and fostering diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Kyiv.
According to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni, the Pope stressed the vital role of dialogue in creating constructive communication channels and advancing peaceful solutions to the war. The conversation also addressed humanitarian assistance and the operational difficulties in delivering aid to affected regions.
The leaders also touched on ongoing efforts to facilitate prisoner exchanges, a matter the Vatican has previously supported on humanitarian grounds.
In a gesture of interfaith diplomacy, Pope Leo XIV thanked Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill for his earlier message of congratulations and reaffirmed the shared values between Christian traditions. He emphasized that these values could guide efforts to achieve peace, protect human life, and promote genuine religious freedom.
The call marks one of the Vatican’s most direct efforts to influence the trajectory of the war in Ukraine through moral diplomacy and interreligious outreach.
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