Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with Pope Leo XIV and thanked him for the Vatican’s efforts to help return children taken by Russia during the war.

Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, about an hour south of Rome, to discuss peacemaking efforts in Ukraine, which has been ravaged by war since Russia’s invasion of the country in February 2022.

Pope Leo has reiterated (after Putin's refusal) his willingness to welcome Russian and Ukrainian representatives to the Vatican 'for negotiations'. The meeting at Villa Barberini, on the Alban