Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Pope Leo XIV and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone on Monday, October 19, 2026. During the conversation, the pontiff called for an immediate resolution of humanitarian issues in the conflict zone.

According to Vatican News, special attention was given during the conversation to the critical situation in the city of Oleshky in the Kherson region. The Pope recalled his appeal to the President of the Russian Federation calling for a humanitarian ceasefire.

The head of the Vatican expressed hope that both sides of the conflict would establish constructive cooperation to ensure the delivery of food and medicine to the affected areas. In addition, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the need to organize the voluntary and safe evacuation of civilians from the combat zone, reaffirming the Vatican’s commitment to promoting dialogue and establishing peace.

As a reminder, earlier, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, delivered a statement on the current status of the Vatican’s peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine during the conference “Faith and Reason in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” in Rome. The Vatican representative described the results achieved so far as extremely insignificant.