Pope Leo XIV Presses Ukraine and Russia for Humanitarian Access to Oleshky
Pope Leo XIV calls for urgent humanitarian aid and civilian evacuations in Russian-occupied Oleshky following separate talks with Putin and Zelenskiy.
POLICY WIRE — Vatican City, Vatican — Pope Leo XIV has initiated high-level diplomatic outreach to both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, advocating for immediate humanitarian relief in the occupied town of Oleshky.
The Vatican confirmed that the pontiff held a telephone conversation with President Zelenskiy on Monday. During the call, Pope Leo emphasized the necessity for Ukraine and Russia to work together to facilitate the delivery of food and medical supplies to the blockaded Kherson region city.
These efforts follow a separate discussion between the Pope and President Putin on October 16. During that exchange, the pontiff expressed his deep concern regarding the dire humanitarian conditions in Oleshky and requested a ceasefire to allow for the safe passage of aid and the evacuation of civilians.
According to reports from the Holy See Press Office, the Pope conducted these calls while recovering in the hospital. President Putin reportedly informed the pontiff that he had agreed to cooperate with the request for vital supplies to reach the Russian-controlled territory.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
