Pope Leo XIV and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shake hands at Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, December 9, 2025. © Simone Risoluti, Reuters
Pope Leo XIV urged for dialogue aiming at a “just and lasting peace” after a meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Vatican said in a statement. The talks with the pope come amid efforts by the Ukrainian leader, with the help of European allies, to revise a US-backed draft peace deal with Russia that is widely seen as favourable to Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that his country “deeply appreciates” the humanitarian support of Pope Leo following a meeting between the two at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo.
“I informed the Pope about diplomatic efforts with the United States to achieve peace. We discussed further actions and the Vatican’s mediation aimed at returning our children abducted by Russia,” he wrote on X.
Zelensky added that he had invited the pontiff to visit Ukraine..
Zelensky visited Rome as he continued to rally European support for Ukraine while resisting the US pressure for a painful compromise with Russia.
The Ukrainian president arrived at Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence outside Rome, for a meeting with Pope Leo XIV and is to have talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later.
Answering reporters’ questions in a WhatsApp chat late Monday, Zelensky reaffimed his firm refusal to cede any territory, saying that “we clearly don’t want to give up anything,” even as “the Americans are looking for a compromise today, I will be honest.”
Ukraine will share a revised peace plan with the US on Tuesday that is aimed at ending Russia’s war, after talks in London between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the leaders of France, Germany and Britain.
As the war nears its four-year mark, Kyiv, under pressure from the White House to agree quickly to a peace settlement, wants to balance out a US-backed draft that was widely seen as favourable to Moscow.
Monday’s hastily arranged meeting among British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Zelenskiy was aimed to strengthen Ukraine’s hand.
FRANCE24