Pope Francis received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Friday, October 11, 2024. This meeting, their third, focused on the war in Ukraine, humanitarian aid, and paths to achieving a just and lasting peace.
Zelenskyy requested the Vatican’s assistance in securing the release of Ukrainian captives held in Russia.
During the audience, Pope Francis presented a bronze sculpture symbolising peace, while Zelenskyy gifted a painting depicting the war-torn city of Bucha.
This meeting follows Zelenskyy’s European tour to promote his “victory plan” for ending the war. As Germany plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine in 2025, Zelensky is expected in Berlin on Friday for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Prior to this, Zelensky met with British and French leaders, firmly dismissing the idea of ceasefire negotiations. In Rome, he held discussions with Giorgia Meloni, who announced that Italy would host the next Ukraine reconstruction conference in July 2025.
