On June 4 (local time), the Vatican said that Pope Leo XIV had directly called for steps towards ending the conflict in Ukraine in his first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The official document of the Vatican stated that when speaking with President Putin, the Pope emphasized the importance of dialogue to facilitate positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict.
The conversation also mentioned the humanitarian situation, the need to facilitate humanitarian aid when necessary, efforts being made to exchange prisoners, as well as the important role of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi - Bologna General Secretary and special messenger for the Vatican peace on the issue of Ukraine.
For his part, President Putin thanked Pope Leo XIV - who has just taken office for nearly 4 weeks - for his willingness to support the conflict resolution, but said Ukraine was deliberately taking steps to escalate the conflict.
The Vatican's announcement of information about the phone call between President Putin and Pope Leo XIV is rare, because this is often kept secret.
Afterwards, Vatican also thanked Russian Eastern Planning Minister Kirill for his congratulations on the election of Pope Leo XIV.
Meanwhile, the Russian statement expressed hope that the Vatican will play a more active role in calling for religious freedom in Ukraine for members of the Ukrainian Communist Party Committee with historical ties to Russia.
Russia has long maintained good relations with both the new Pope and his predecessor, Pope Francis, especially on humanitarian issues such as family reunion.
