Pope Francis has assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of his constantly praying for peace after their private meeting at the Vatican.
In his first face-to-face meeting with the Ukrainian leader since the invasion, the Pope stressed the urgent need to help “the most fragile people, innocent victims” of the full-scale invasion launched by Russia last year.
The meeting at the Vatican on Saturday is reported to be focused on the plight of millions of Ukrainians after the Russian invasion.
In a statement released on Saturday, the pontiff and President Zelensky “discussed the humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine caused by the ongoing war” during a meeting that lasted about 40 minutes.
It added that” both agreed on the need to continue humanitarian efforts to support the population, with the Pope assuring Zelensky of his constant prayer and continuous invocation to the Lord for peace since last February when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion.”
Pope Francis has often said that the Vatican stands ready to act as a mediator in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this month, he stated that the Vatican was working on a peace plan to end the war, saying that the mission was “not yet public. When it is public, I will talk about it.”
However, there have been some tense moments in the Vatican and Ukrainian relations.
The Pope stated in an interview a few months after the start of the conflict in Ukraine that Moscow’s incursion was “perhaps somehow provoked.” And in August of last year, the Ukrainian envoy to the Vatican made the unheard-of move of denouncing the Pope for referring to Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian ultranationalist who was killed by a vehicle bomb, as an ‘innocent’ war victim.
Zelensky kicked off the trip with a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who reiterated his country’s “full support for Ukraine in terms of military, financial, humanitarian and reconstruction aid, in the short and long term.” according to a source in the presidential office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, gave him the assurance that Rome would support a unified Ukraine when they first met. A no-fly zone is established over Rome, and more than 1,000 police officers are on duty.
The press conference that followed their meeting featured Zelensky urging “all the Italian political leaders and representatives of civil society” to visit Ukraine.
“You will see what a single person, what Putin was capable of, was doing to us, and you will understand why we are fighting this evil.”
In order for the war to come to a conclusion, Meloni highlighted that Russia must stop its “brutal and unjust aggression” and withdraw from all Ukrainian territory.
Additionally, she promised to assist Ukraine for “as long as is necessary.”
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