Pope Leo XIV and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky “focused on the war in Ukraine” when they met at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo this morning, Dec. 9, the Vatican said.  

“The Holy Father reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace,” the Vatican said in a statement issued afterward. 

They also discussed “the questions of prisoners of war and the need to assure the return of Ukrainian children to their families,” the statement added.

President Zelensky also issued a statement on X after his meeting, expressing appreciation for “all the support” of Pope Leo and the Holy See in the humanitarian field. He said he informed the pope about the diplomatic efforts with the United States to achieve peace and revealed that he again invited Pope Leo to visit Ukraine. “During today’s audience with His Holiness, I thanked him for his constant prayers for Ukraine and for the Ukrainian people, as well as for his calls for a just peace,” he wrote. 

“I informed the Pope about diplomatic efforts with the United States to achieve peace. We discussed further actions and the Vatican’s mediation aimed at returning our children abducted by Russia. I am grateful to His Holiness for all his efforts to support young Ukrainians. Thank you for this conversation and for all the attention given to our people. I invited the Pope to visit Ukraine. This would be a powerful signal of support for our people.”

It was their third face-to-face meeting since Leo’s election as pope on May 8. They first met in the Vatican after the pope’s inauguration on May 18. They met for a second time at Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo on July 9. 

This morning’s meeting also took place at Villa Barberini. After a 30-minute private conversation, the pope and the president appeared together on the balcony of the villa. They greeted journalists and photographers without making any comments, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

They met at a particularly delicate moment in the international effort to arrive at a peace plan that can be accepted by both Ukraine and Russia. The current effort was initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump with a 28-point plan that was widely regarded in Europe as unquestionably favorable to Russia and a reward to the aggressor state. That plan was devised in dialogue between the United States and Russia without the involvement of the European Union, the United Kingdom or Ukraine.

The plan was subsequently modified following the intervention of those parties in initial discussions with the U.S. president and his advisors. It has since been further modified and reduced to 20 points following discussions in Europe. President Zelensky has made clear that, in accordance with Ukraine’s constitution, he cannot cede territory, which is what Russia wants. He and the other E.U. leaders agreed that any peace accord has to provide solid security guarantees for Ukraine against future attack or invasion by Russia. 

President Zelensky arrived in Rome after holding meetings in London with the prime ministers of the United Kingdom and Germany and France’s president, followed by meetings in Brussels with the president of the E.U. commission and other E.U. officials, all of whom support Ukraine. After those meetings and then one this afternoon in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, ANSA reported that Ukraine will share the revised peace plan with the United States. 

The Holy See has been involved in efforts to bring a negotiated end to the war almost from the beginning under Pope Francis and now with Pope Leo and has always called for “a just and lasting peace”—words reiterated by the pope this morning, according to the Vatican statement.

On Feb. 28, 2025, America asked the Vatican’s foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, what the Holy See means by “a just and lasting peace.”  

He replied: “Our point of departure is the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. What the Ukrainians may wish to negotiate or what they are prepared to concede is their affair, their business, and we need to support them.”

“A just peace would be a peace that corrects the aggression that they have suffered. But at the moment, it is very difficult to say exactly what the Ukrainians would consider a just peace,” he said. “They would like to get all their territory back, which has been occupied by Russia. But at the same time, that doesn’t look very likely. Therefore, if they’re going to settle for less, will that be a just peace? And of course, there are many in the international community, within Europe, who think that this would not be a lasting peace either. I think these are things that will eventually have to be hammered out in negotiations.”

Pope Leo also had a conversation by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 4 of this year that focused especially on the war in Ukraine, the Vatican said.

Afterward, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, said in a statement, “The Pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict.” He said the pope and the president also discussed the ongoing efforts for prisoner exchanges and the value of the work that Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the archbishop of Bologna, is doing in this regard.

Pope Leo marked the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence on Aug. 24 by sending a message to the country’s president and by telling pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square that he joined Ukrainians in asking the Lord “to grant peace to their martyred country.”

The war is now far into its third year and daily bringing death and destruction, most of it in Ukraine. The casualties of the war are notably difficult to estimate. In June, the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated Russian military deaths around 250,000 and total casualties, including the wounded, at more than 950,000. Between 60,000 and 100,000 Ukrainian personnel have been killed, with the total casualties reaching approximately 400,000, according to a report from The Guardian.

Responding to Journalists

Before returning to Rome, Pope Leo XIV answered questions from journalists at Castel Gandolfo this evening, Dec. 8, less than 12 hours after meeting President Zelensky. Vatican Media carried audio and video of the interview highlights, including Leo’s comments on the peace proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war put forward by U.S. mediators. 

Asked to comment on that peace plan, he remarked that he had only read parts of the proposal, but he stated firmly, “Unfortunately, I believe that some aspects of what I have seen would bring about a huge change in what has, for many, many years, been a true alliance between Europe and the United States.”

He said, “remarks that are made about Europe, also in interviews recently, I think, are trying to break apart what I think needs to be a very important alliance today and in the future.” His remarks reflected the long-standing position of the Holy Se.

Leo seemed also to be referring to the recent National Security Strategy document issued by the White House some days ago, when he acknowledged that the U.S president and his advisers have a right to put together a security proposal. But, speaking diplomatically, he said he thinks the proposal “has a number of things in it that…perhaps many people in the United States would be in agreement, [while] I think many others would see things in a different way.”

Pope Leo said, “I believe Europe’s role is very important, and the unity of European countries is truly significant, especially in this case.” In a clear criticism of the Trump administration’s attempt to sideline Europe in the peace process, the American pope said, “Trying to reach a peace agreement without including Europe in the discussions is not realistic. The war is in Europe, and I believe that Europe must be part of the security guarantees sought today and in the future.”

“Unfortunately,” he said, “not everyone understands this, but I believe there is a great opportunity for the idea of Europe to come together and seek solutions collectively.”

Pope Leo confirmed that “the Holy See is available to provide space and opportunities for talks and negotiations” to end the war and reach a peace accord, but he said “so far, the offer has not been accepted, but we remain willing to seek a solution and a peace that is both lasting and just.”

Asked about the possibility of a visit to Ukraine, Pope Leo responded: “I hope so, though I don’t know when. One must also be realistic in these matters; perhaps it will be possible.”

Asked about the role of the Holy See in bringing back abducted children from Ukraine, the pope confirmed he had discussed this with the Ukrainian president but noted that such work is going on but most is “very slow, unfortunately” and done “behind the scenes.” He said the Holy See continues “to try and get those children back to their homes, to their families.”

Updated Dec. 9, 2025; 5:49 p.m. to reflect Pope Leo’s comments to journalists at Castel Gandolfo this evening.