VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday (Jul 9) that the Vatican is willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks, the Vatican said in a statement.
The pope, meeting the Ukrainian leader for the second time in his two-month-old papacy, also discussed with Zelenskyy “the urgent need for a just and lasting peace,” the statement said.
Zelenskyy and Pope Leo held talks in Castel Gandolfo, a small Italian hill town not far from Rome, where the pope is taking a two-week vacation.
The Ukrainian leader is in Italy to attend a conference on Jul 10-11 dedicated to Ukraine’s recovery and long-term reconstruction following Russia’s invasion.