Pope calls for 'just and lasting peace' after meeting Ukraine's Zelensky

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, December 10 ------ Pope Leo called for continued dialogue to seek a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Vatican said.

His comments echoed Zelensky's frequent demands for a "just" peace as the Ukrainian leader tries to ensure that any agreement to end Russia's war in Ukraine is balanced and does not overly favor Moscow.

The pope "reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace," the Vatican said in a statement issued after a meeting at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo outside Rome. "In addition, the questions of prisoners of war and the need to assure the return of Ukrainian children to their families were also discussed", said the Vatican, which has mediated between Kyiv and Moscow on the children issue.

Ukraine rules out ceding territory

Zelensky, who arrived in Italy after talks in London on Monday, thanked the pontiff "for his constant prayers for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, as well as for his calls for a just peace," and invited him to visit Ukraine. "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," Zelensky wrote on X.

Ukraine accuses Russia of abducting at least 19,000 of its children to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Source: gmanetwork.com