President Volodymyr Zelensky met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on June 14, and discussed topics including establishing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Zelensky previously met Pope Francis in May 2023 during a visit to the Vatican, where they spoke for over half an hour.
On the sidelines of the G7 summit, Zelensky thanked the Pope "for his prayers for peace in Ukraine, spiritual closeness to our people, and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians."
Zelensky said he "informed the Pope about the consequences of Russian aggression, its air terror, and the difficult energy situation" and discussed "the Holy See's role in establishing a just and lasting peace," as well as expectations of the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland.
Pope Francis was criticized in March by leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO General Jens Stoltenberg for calling on Ukraine to "not be ashamed to negotiate" with Russia.
In an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, Pope Francis said that Ukraine should have the "courage" to negotiate peace with Russia and raise the "white flag."
President Volodymyr Zelensky responded in his nightly address on March 10 without mentioning the Pope directly, saying that Russia is "not moving further into Europe only because they are being held back by Ukrainians with weapons in their hands and under the blue and yellow flag."
The Vatican responded on March 11 that Russia should take the first steps toward negotiations with Ukraine, and that the Pope's call was to "create the conditions for a diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace."
Andrea Januta
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