VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis met Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the Vatican on Friday, the newest step on the Ukrainian president’s European tour to win help for his proposed “victory plan” aimed toward ending the conflict with Russia.
The pope and the Ukrainian chief held personal talks for 35 minutes. After their personal assembly on the Sala della Biblioteca and the presentation of the Ukrainian delegation, Francis gave Zelenskyy a bronze plaque depicting a flower and an inscription studying: “Peace is a fragile flower.”
In flip, Zelenskyy gifted the pontiff with an oil portray portraying “The bloodbath of Bucha. The story of Marichka.” Bucha, a suburb northwest of Kyiv, was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and witnessed a few of Russia´s worst atrocities towards civilians.
Later Friday, Zelenskyy met the Vatican’s secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and worldwide organizations.
“The discussions have been devoted to the state of the conflict and the humanitarian scenario in Ukraine, in addition to the methods wherein it may very well be dropped at an finish, main to simply and steady peace within the nation,” the Vatican mentioned in an announcement, including that “some issues referring to the non secular lifetime of the nation have been additionally examined.”
Because the first Russian assault on Kyiv, there have been a number of contacts between Francis and Zelenskyy, by way of visits, letters and cellphone calls.
The pope sparked some criticism from Ukrainian leaders in March when he prompt they need to have the braveness of the “white flag” negotiating an finish to the conflict with Russia, in what was intepreted by many as a name to give up.
Francis has repeatedly and strongly for an finish to the conflict, specializing in prisoner exchanges and on reaching a diplomatic resolution to the Ukrainian battle.
Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi was despatched as a particular envoy on a mission to ease tensions among the many events at conflict, assembly with political and ecclesiastical leaders world wide. His mission was, specifically, to encourage exchanges of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners and to discover a approach to facilitate the return of kids forcibly deported from Ukraine to Russia.
Zelensky is city-hopping throughout Europe to advertise a plan that he mentioned “goals to create the proper situations for a simply finish to the conflict” towards Russia, unveiling the proposals to European allies after a summit with President Joe Biden was derailed by Hurricane Milton.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome.
He’s anticipated to journey to Germany afterward Friday to carry talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The Ukrainian chief has but to publicly element his proposals for “victory.” However the timing of his efforts to lock in European help seem to have the looming U.S. election in thoughts. Former President Donald Trump has lengthy been vital of U.S. assist to Kyiv.
Ukraine´s stretched and short-handed military is presently underneath heavy stress within the nation´s japanese Donetsk area. Russian forces not too long ago pushed it out of the Donetsk city of Vuhledar and are actually in charge of about half of close by Toretsk, native administration chief Vasyl Chynchyk mentioned Friday. To cease the losses, Zelenskyy must safe extra assist.