Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the Castel Gandolfo Papal residence in Italy amid diplomatic efforts to solve the prolonged conflict with Russia and Kyiv’s refusal to surrender territory to Moscow.
According to a statement shared by the Vatican, the Pope invited Zelenskyy to discuss the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia and the return of Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia.
“For the second time in his papacy, Pope Leo XIV welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo to discuss the war in Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia,” read the Vatican statement.
“During their talks, the Pope reiterated the importance of ongoing dialogue and once again stressed his urgent hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts will lead to a just and lasting peace.”
The two leaders also discussed the issue of prisoners of war.
Zelenskyy’s Meeting with Pope Leo
The meeting with Pope Leo was part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Pope Leo highlighted the importance of ongoing dialogue and expressed his hopes that the efforts would lead to peace and the end of the war.
“During their talks, the Pope reiterated the importance of ongoing dialogue and once again stressed his ‘urgent hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts will lead to a just and lasting peace,” read part of the Vatican statement.
“In addition, the questions of prisoners of war and the need to assure the return of Ukrainian children to their families were also discussed,” the statement said.
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Zelenskyy Meets Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron
Zelensky’s meeting with the Pope came days after he met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, seeking to shore up European backing as negotiations over a possible end to the war with Russia remain deadlocked.
The meeting, held at 10 Downing Street in London, focused on military support for Ukraine, long-term security guarantees, and the widening gap between U.S., European, and Ukrainian positions on the territorial concessions demanded by Moscow.
Also Read: Zelenskyy Suffers Huge Blow as Putin’s Men Announce Capture of Key Ukrainian Territory
Before entering the talks, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine cannot navigate the current phase of the conflict without close coordination between Europe and the United States.
“There are things we cannot do without America, and there are things we cannot do without Europe,” he told reporters. “That is why important decisions must be made together.”
Macron said Europe still holds “significant leverage,” pointing to continued arms financing for Ukraine and the mounting pressure on Russia’s economy from Western sanctions.
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