Pope speaks with Putin, urges peace gesture in Ukraine

The Pope and Mr Putin spoke on June 4, said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. While they spoke of several “matters of mutual interest”, Mr Bruni said that “special attention was paid to the situation in Ukraine and peace”.

“The Pope made an appeal for Russia to make a gesture that would promote peace, stressed the importance of dialogue for the realisation of positive contacts between the parties and seeking solutions to the conflict,” Mr Bruni said.

The Pope and the Russian President also discussed the humanitarian situation, the need to facilitate the delivery of aid and ongoing negotiations over the exchange of prisoners of war, an effort Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna is involved with, he added.

Russian news agency Tass said that “Putin drew the Pope’s attention to the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict by the Kiev (Kyiv) regime”, apparently referring to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian war planes on June 1.

Tass also reported that “Putin expressed his hope that the Holy See would step up its efforts to promote religious freedom in Ukraine”, a reference to the Ukrainian Parliament’s decision in 2024 to ban the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and to outlaw ties with Russian-based religious organisations.

Mr Putin “thanked the Pope for his readiness to assist in resolving the conflict in Ukraine”, Tass reported. Pope Leo had offered the Vatican as a neutral site for peace talks, but Russia declined the invitation.

“The Russian leader reiterated his interest in achieving peace in Ukraine through political and diplomatic means,” Tass reported.

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Pope Leo XIV, speaking on phone with Putin, appeals for gesture of peace (By Cindy Wooden/Catholic News Service)