Ukraine’s Zelensky visits Pope Francis in Vatican

Pope Francis hosted a private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican on Friday, with discussions focused primarily on the return of prisoners held by Russia.

Zelensky requested the Pope’s support for both children and adults currently detained, a request he later shared on Telegram.

Following this, Zelensky met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, where the conversation centered around possible ways to end the war in Ukraine and establish a just and stable peace.

The Vatican’s chief diplomat expressed concern regarding the dire humanitarian conditions in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Holy See.

The meeting, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, saw Zelensky gifting the Pope a painting titled “The Bucha Massacre,” depicting a young girl amidst the ruins.

This artwork references Bucha, a town near Kyiv where alleged atrocities were committed by Russian forces in the early stages of their full-scale invasion.

This marks Zelensky’s third visit to the Vatican.