The Pope called for peace and unity in service, which attracted VIPs from all over the world.
Pope Leo Fourteen met Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Vatican inauguration, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who conveyed a message of love and unity to the crowd of 200,000 pilgrims.
"We thank the Vatican for its willingness to serve as a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. We are ready to hold dialogue in any form to achieve a tangible result. We thank Ukraine for its support and clear voice for defending justice and lasting peace," Zelenskyy posted on X.
The Vatican has not issued a statement on Sunday's meeting.
Leo was formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, who formally served as head of the Catholic Church at the outdoor mass at St Peter's Square, with world leaders and European royals attending.
In his sermon, the first American Pope Leo, called for solidarity within the church, saying he wanted it to act as a force for world peace.
"I hope our first great aspiration is the United Church, which is a sign of unitedness and exchange, which is the leaf of a world of reconciliation," he said.
“In this age, we still see too much discord, too much wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, fear of differences and economic paradigms that leverage the resources of the planet and marginalize the poorest.”
Leo said he is "fearing and trembling" as the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics and insists that he will not lead like a "dictator".
"It is by no means a matter of capturing others through force, religious propaganda or power. Instead, it is always like Jesus, a matter of love," he said, apparently nodding, agreeing with the division between conservatives and liberals within the church.
The 69-year-old pope, born in Chicago, spent years in Peru, inherited the late Pope Francis, whose 12-year term was marked by tensions among traditionalists within the church. Leo is clearly paying tribute to the conservatives who are committed to protecting the “rich legacy of the Christian faith” and repeatedly using the words “unity” and “harmony”.
Before the ceremony, Leo took the first Popemobile ride across St Peter's Square and cheered the crowd, "Viva Il Papa".
VIPs attending the meeting included the presidents of Israel, Peru and Nigeria; Prime Ministers of Italy, Canada and Australia; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz; King Felipe and Queen Letitz of Spain.
The U.S. delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who clashed with Francis over the White House approach to immigration. The ceremony began, Vance shook hands with Zelenskyy, a fierce encounter with two men and President Donald Trump in front of world media at the White House in February.
Leo prayed for victims of the Ukraine and Gaza conflict in her sermon, saying that Ukraine is being "martyred" and lamented that Palestinians "reduced to hunger."