Ukraine’s Zelenskyy meets Pope Francis at the Vatican

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, saying it was a great honor to meet with the pontiff.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, saying it was a great honor to meet with the pontiff, who has previously offered to do what he can to try to end the war launched by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

Zelenskyy held his hand on his heart as the pope, using a cane, came to greet him before ushering the Ukrainian into a papal studio near the Vatican’s audience call. “Thank you for your visit,” Francis said, as their 40-minute-long meeting began.

In a written statement, the Vatican said the two men spoke about Ukraine’s “humanitarian and political situation provoked by the war going on.”

“The pope assured his constant prayer, paid witness to by his many public appeals and by his continued invoking of the Lord for peace, since February of last year,” the Vatican said, a reference to the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, by Russia’s military.

“Both agreed on the need to continue humanitarian efforts” to help the population. “The pope underlined in particular the urgent need for `humanitarian gestures’ toward the most fragile persons, innocent victims of the conflict,” the statement said.

Last month, Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, met with Francis at the Vatican and said he asked the pontiff to help Ukraine get back children illegally taken to Russia during the invasion.

Saturday’s communique from the Vatican made no mention of that, and there were no immediate details from Zelenskyy’s side about his meeting with the pontiff.

Ahead of Zelenskyy’s arrival in late afternoon, police moved tourists to one side of St. Peter’s Square so the Ukrainian president’s motorcade could speed across the vast cobblestone space.