In the Vatican, after the meeting of the Pontiff with Zelensky, said the need to achieve peace in Ukraine

On Monday, December 9, 2025, Pope Leo received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo for a private meeting. The talks, which lasted about 30 minutes, ended with the Pontiff and the Ukrainian head of state being photographed together on the villa’s balcony. This is their second meeting this year, but the agenda of the current discussions remained unknown.

As reported by Strana.ua, Vladimir Zelensky arrived in Italy as part of his European diplomatic tour. The private meeting with the pontiff took place at the picturesque Villa Barberini, located in Castel Gandolfo, the historic summer residence of the Popes. Despite the public appearance of the leaders for a photo shoot after the talks, the specific topics touched upon by Pope Leo and President Zelensky were not announced to the public.

Nevertheless, following the meeting, the Vatican released a statement calling for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible. «During a cordial conversation on the war in Ukraine, the Holy Father reiterated the need for continued dialog and reiterated his sincere hope that ongoing diplomatic initiatives can lead to a just and lasting peace. In addition, he mentioned the issue of prisoners of war and the need to ensure the return of Ukrainian children to their families, » the Holy See said.

We shall remind you that the head of the UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk made a statement in which he spoke out against proposals for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine through territorial concessions. Speaking at a Uniate cathedral in Australia, he questioned the effectiveness of such an approach, saying that Ukraine should not agree to demands that are acceptable to Russia.