Pope Leo Xiv said Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia and a 30-day ceasefire supported by the West, which was in line with the previous Pontiff who took a more neutral stance on the war in Moscow.
The Ukrainian president said on Monday that his first conversation with the new pope who was elected last week was “very enthusiastic and truly substantial” and thanked him for his support.
“We deeply value his need for our country and for the release of prisoners to achieve just and lasting peace,” he said.
The Vatican confirmed that the two men spoke on the phone but refused to provide any other details.
"I have suffered in my heart the suffering of my beloved Ukrainian people, urging "as soon as possible, authentic, just and lasting peace."
He added: “May all prisoners be released and the children return to their families.”
His clear support for Ukraine during the war of the years Russian invasion was appreciated by the Ukrainians, especially the Catholics in the country.
After Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the late Pope Francis avoided direct accusation of Moscow's aggression, suggesting that NATO has aroused Russia and often viewed the warring parties as the same suffering. Last year, protests arose when the late pope suggested that Ukraine should have the courage to surrender to quickly end the bloodshed.
"When you see yourself being defeated, things are not going well, you need to have the courage to negotiate," Francis told Swiss TV last year.
By contrast, Leo in 2022 (then the Bishop of Peru) condemned Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as "imperialism", saying that "Russia wanted to conquer territory for power reasons" and committed territory that committed crimes against humanity in the conflict.
"We really think that Pope Leo will become the peace pope of the suffering, war-torn Ukraine Ukraine," said Sviatoslav Shevchuk, director of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine.
Ukrainians criticized Francis for calling Ukrainians and Russians “brothers,” a term used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to justify his invasion. The late Pope Francis also sent Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna, to two humanitarian missions to Moscow in an attempt to negotiate the return of the kidnapped Ukrainian children.
The Vatican said that "a certain number of children" were returned because of the church's mediation work. But it is not clear how many come back.
Zelenskyy said on Monday that the key focus of his discussion with Pope Leo was the nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children that his office said were forced by Russia. A Financial Times investigation last year found that in the early stages of the Kremlin's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian children were kidnapped and moved to Russia, and in one case the authorities were adopted by the authorities.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Putin and his Child Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova to create his role in the kidnapping.
"Ukraine is counting on the help of the Vatican to bring them home," Zelenskyy said, adding that he had invited Pope Leo to visit Ukraine, saying that it would "bring real hope to all believers and all our peoples".
As of Monday, he also reiterated his willingness to abide by a 30-day ceasefire. But Russia rejected the proposal, while Putin hints that he should meet with Zelenskyy in Istanbul on Thursday for peace talks. Zelenskyy said he was willing to meet in Türkiye, but the Kremlin has not confirmed the attendance of the Russian leader.
The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said in London on Monday that Putin was still "playing the game" and warned that the group was preparing for further sanctions if Russia disagrees with a month-long ceasefire.
Giuliana Ricozzi's other reports in Rome and David Sheppard of London