Pope Francis met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Friday as part of the latter’s European tour to garner support for his proposed “victory plan.” This plan is aimed at ending the war with Russia, according to AP. The two leaders discussed their views in private talks for 35 minutes, following which Francis presented Zelenskyy with a bronze plaque depicting a flower along with an inscription that read: “Peace is a fragile flower.
In return, Zelenskyy gave Pope Francis an oil painting depicting the massacre of Bucha. The suburb northwest of Kyiv was occupied by Russian troops shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and it witnessed some of Russia’s worst atrocities against civilians.
Later on Friday, Zelenskyy met with Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for relations with states and international organizations. The discussions focused on the state of war, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and ways to end the conflict while establishing a just and stable peace in the country.
The Vatican has issued a statement explaining that matters related to the religious life of Ukraine were also examined during these talks. Pope Francis and President Zelenskyy have maintained multiple lines of communication since the first Russian attack on Kyiv, including visits, letters, and phone calls.
In March, Pope Francis faced criticism from Ukrainian leaders when he suggested they should exhibit the courage to use a “white flag” as a means of negotiating an end to the war with Russia, which was interpreted by many as a call for surrender. The pope has repeatedly called for an end to the war, advocating for prisoner exchanges and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.
Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi was dispatched as a special envoy on a mission to ease tensions among the parties at war, meeting with political and ecclesiastical leaders around the world. His mission involved encouraging exchanges of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners and finding ways to facilitate the return of children forcibly deported from Ukraine to Russia.
While in Europe, Zelenskyy is visiting various cities to promote his plan that he says aims at creating the right conditions for a just end to the war against Russia, unveiling his 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 is expected to travel to Germany later on Friday to hold talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Although Zelenskyy has yet to publicly detail his proposals for “victory,” the timing of his efforts to secure European support seems to be taking into account the upcoming U.S. election, where former President Donald Trump has been critical of U.S. aid to Kyiv. The Ukrainian army is currently under heavy pressure in the eastern Donetsk region, with Russian forces pushing it out of the town of Vuhledar and gaining control over about half of nearby Toretsk. To alleviate these losses, Zelenskyy needs to secure more help from his European allies.