Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, calling for a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine while recovering in hospital from lung cancer surgery.
The Vatican said that Pope Leo “expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population”.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said it was “the Holy Father who took the initiative” to call Russian President Vladimir Putin “to plead the case of this besieged city, where around 2,000 civilians need safe routes out and humanitarian corridors.”
“I believe the Pope asked for a truce to allow both the delivery of humanitarian aid, especially food, and the evacuation of those who must leave the city.”
“I hope,” added Parolin, “that when faced with a request from the Holy Father, President Putin will agree to implement what has been asked of him.”
According to a statement reported by Russian news agencies, President Vladimir Putin thanked Pope Leo XIV for his willingness to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine and for his humanitarian initiatives. He also wished the Pope a speedy recovery following his recent surgery.
Previous contacts between Moscow and the Vatican
This is the second time Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken.
The two leaders previously held a telephone conversation on 4 June 2025, less than a month after Leo XIV’s election.
Pope Francis last spoke with Putin on 17 December 2021, his birthday. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, however, his attempts to establish direct contact with the Russian president were unsuccessful.