Pope Leo XIV's Historic Call with Ukraine's Zelenskiy

Pope Leo XIV engaged in his first known conversation with a foreign leader since his election, speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday. During the call, they discussed potential ceasefire proposals and the troubling removal of Ukrainian children by Russian forces.

Zelenskiy described the call as 'very warm and truly substantive' in a Telegram post, indicating that he extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit Ukraine. The discussion also ventured into efforts to negotiate an end to the ongoing war.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the call without sharing specific details. This dialogue may indicate a shift in Vatican-Ukraine relations, which were complex under Pope Leo's predecessor, the late Pope Francis, who notably refrained from explicitly condemning Russian President Putin.

(With inputs from agencies.)