Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace as He Engages with Ukrainian Church Leaders

Pope Leo XIV held a key audience with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, emphasizing his commitment to negotiating peace amid Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The meeting marked one of his first significant engagements as pontiff.

During the discussions, Ukrainian Church leader His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk extended an invitation to Pope Leo to visit Ukraine, providing him with a list of prisoners held by Russia. Under Pope Francis, the Vatican had previously facilitated prisoner exchanges and advocated for the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russian-occupied areas.

Pope Leo expressed a heartfelt appeal for an end to the war, standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. In line with the Vatican's stance on diplomatic neutrality, he pledged continued efforts to bring the warring nations to the negotiation table.

(With inputs from agencies.)