Pope Leo tells Ukraine's Zelenskyy that Vatican could host peace talks
This handout photo taken and released on Jul 9, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo, southeast of Rome. (Photo: AFP/Francesco Sforza)
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday (Jul 9) that the Vatican is willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks, the Vatican said in a statement.
The pope, meeting the Ukrainian leader for the second time in his two-month-old papacy, also discussed with Zelenskyy "the urgent need for a just and lasting peace," the statement said.
Zelenskyy and Pope Leo held talks in Castel Gandolfo, a small Italian hill town not far from Rome, where the pope is taking a two-week vacation.
The Ukrainian leader is in Italy to attend a conference on Jul 10-11 dedicated to Ukraine's recovery and long-term reconstruction following Russia's invasion.
The Vatican did not say how long the meeting between Pope Leo and Zelenskyy lasted. It released a video showing Pope Leo, the first United States pontiff, asking Zelenskyy, "How are things going?" in English as the two sat in a large room together.
Pope Leo, who has made appealing for peace in world conflicts a major theme of his young papacy, previously met with Zelenskyy at the Vatican on May 18.
The pope also held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Jun 4, during which the Vatican said Pope Leo had asked Putin to take concrete steps to end Russia's bloody three-year war on Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump suggested in May that Pope Leo had offered to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks, but the pope had not previously spoken about the possibility of such a summit.
Russian officials had previously told Reuters that they do not see the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because the Holy See is surrounded by NATO member Italy, which has supported Ukraine and taken part in EU sanctions against Russia.
