Leone XIV received the president of Ukraine on Wednesday morning Volodymyr Zelensky to Castel Gandolfo and reiterated “The willingness to welcome the representatives of Russia and Ukraine for the negotiations of peace in the Vatican,” As the Vatican press room said in a note. The hearing lasted about half an hour.
The Ukrainian president, who arrived in Rome for the International Conference of reconstruction of his country The Nuvola dell’Eur Cloud on 10 and 11 July was scheduled at the Congress Center, he was received by the Pope shortly before Mezzogiorno in the summer residence at the Castelli Romani where the Pope moved last Sunday for a period of holidays that will end on 20 July.
Zelensky was welcomed to Villa Barberiniwhere Leone XIV lies, from the Picher of honor of the Swiss Guard and was introduced to the meeting with the Pope by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, Regging of the prefecture of the pontifical house. It is the second time that the Ukrainian leader and the Pontiff meet, the first had been during the Pontificate Start Mass on 18 May while four days after the election in Conclave, on May 12, had had a telephone interview with the Ukrainian president. During the first Queen Coeli, the Pontiff had relaunched to the appeal for peace in the “battered Ukrainian”, resuming an expression several times used by Pope Francis.
In addition to having reaffirmed the willingness to welcome the representatives of Russia and Ukraine for the negotiations in the Vatican, the Pope entertained with the Ukrainian president in a private interview that has touched various themes concerning the “Conflict in progress and the urgency of righteous and long -lasting peace paths”. The meeting also “reiterated the importance of dialogue as a privileged way to end hostilities”. Leone XIV then expressed pain for the victims and renewed prayer and proximity to the Ukrainian people, encouraging any effort aimed at the liberation of prisoners and looking for shared solutions “. Zelensky wanted to bring to the gift to the Pope an album dedicated to the Ukrainian iconographic tradition, in which the most famous masterpieces from the 11th to the eighteenth century are collected.
After the interview, around 2 pm the Pope and the President They overlooking the balcony of Villa Barberini, where he waves the white and yellow flag of the Vatican city. Both greeted the small crowd of people – mainly journalists – arranged on the street under a strong heat lightened by the breeze coming from the lake. “Good morning holiness!”, A woman screamed. “Good morning, good morning!” Pope Leone replied.
Pope Leo XIV with the Ukrainian president Zelensky on the terrace of Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo (ANSA)
At the end of the meeting with the Pope, Zelensky, who went down to the courtyard, wanted to make some statements to journalists: «I am very grateful to His Holiness for this meeting, for having hosted us and of course for his help, for the help of the Vatican». A help that has to do with the question of the repatriation of Ukrainian minors transported by force to Russia. Zelensky has always asked for support for the Holy See for this mission, as well as for the liberation of prisoners. A “mechanism”, as the cardinal secretary of state has defined it on various occasions, Pietro Parolinwas started thanks to the visit desired by Pope Francis In 2023 of Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi first in Kyiv and then in Moscow (later also in Washington and Beijing). Thanks to it, several children and adolescents have come to the return and also to the release of prisoners, including – in June 2024 – the two Redeemerists Ivan Levytskyi and Bohdan Heleta. A result for which Zelensky himself publicly thanked the Holy See for his efforts.
The president in Castel Gandolfo has returned to reiterate gratitude and the request for help to return “our children” to their relatives in Ukraine. “It is a very important question that we talked about with the Pope, in a very important moment“He said again on the sidelines of the hearing with Leone XIV. “Of course – he added – We want peace, we want the war to end and of course we count a lot on the Vatican so that the Vatican and his holiness can help us with a high -level meeting between leader to end this war». The Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, and the head of the president’s office, Andriy Yermak, were present in the Zelensky delegation.
After the meeting with Prevost, Zelensky also commented on his social networks: “Grateful for the meeting and the very detailed conversation with Pope Leo XIV”, he wrote on Telegram, “we appreciate all the support and every prayer for peace in Ukraine. The proposal of meetings in the Vatican to stop the Russian aggression and reach a stable, lasting and authentic peace remains open and fully possible. For now, only Moscow is rejecting this proposal, as well as all the other peace proposals. We will continue to build a global solidarity so that diplomacy can continue to work ». Finally, he wrote that he had “thanked the Pope in particular For his support for Ukrainian children, in particular to those repatriated by Russian prisons. Ukrainian children have the opportunity to rehabilitate and rest in Italy, and this hospitality is extremely important. Today we discussed the further Vatican efforts for the repatriation of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia ».
The exchange of gifts (ANSA)
