Pope Leo XIV holds call with Zelenskyy, Vatican says
Chicago-born Leo, 71, has been calling for a humanitarian truce in Oleshky, a city under Russian siege, to allow food and medical aid to arrive and for civilians to be evacuated safely.
Published on 19/10/2026 - 22:40 GMT+2
Pope Leo XIV held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy late on Monday afternoon, just days after he spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Vatican said.
During his conversation with Putin, the pontiff had called for a humanitarian truce in Oleshky, a city under Russian siege, to allow food and medical aid to arrive and for civilians to be evacuated safely.
According to a statement from the Vatican's Press Office, Oleshky was also the focus of his talks with Zelenskyy.
"During the conversation, the Holy Father drew attention to the serious situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, referring to the request for a humanitarian truce already submitted to the President of the Russian Federation," the statement reads. "The Holy Father expressed the hope that the cooperation of both sides will allow food and medical aid to reach the city and ensure the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population."
Ukraine and Russia are in the process of finalising the details of a civilian evacuation in the city and six nearby settlements, the Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, has announced.
Chicago-born Leo has kept in regular contact with Zelenskyy.
In May 2025, Leo held an initial telephone call with the Ukrainian leader, in which Zelenskyy invited him to Kyiv and reiterated his country's readiness for further negotiations.
The two met later that month, immediately after the mass marking the beginning of the pope's pontificate in St Peter's Square.
They met again on 9 July 2025 for a private audience at Villa Barberini, the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, where they discussed the possibility of hosting future peace talks at the Vatican.
And once again on 9 December, again in Castel Gandolfo, to discuss the need to keep dialogue open, questions surrounding prisoners of war and the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia.
On 3 April this year, the pope again spoke to Zelenskyy as Russian drone and missile attacks ramped up across Ukraine.
He expressed his solidarity with the Ukrainian people, underlining the urgency of humanitarian aid, the release of prisoners and a negotiated peace.
