Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone last night with Pope Leo XIV about the conflict in Ukraine, stating that he wants to achieve peace through diplomatic means, but accused Kiev of seeking to escalate hostilities, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
"Vladimir Putin drew attention to the fact that the Kiev regime is betting on escalating the conflict and carrying out sabotage against civilian infrastructure on Russian territory," the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Russian leader "reaffirmed" his aspiration to "achieve peace by political and diplomatic means, stressing that in order to achieve a definitive, just and comprehensive settlement of the crisis, it is necessary to eliminate its root causes", the Russian presidency added.
Pope Leo XIV called on the Russian president to take steps to end the conflict in Ukraine, the Vatican said, quoted by Reuters.
“The pope appealed to Russia to make a gesture in support of peace, stressing the importance of dialogue for achieving positive contacts between the parties in search of solutions to the conflict“, the Vatican added.
“The conversation focused on the humanitarian situation, the need to facilitate humanitarian aid where necessary, the ongoing efforts to exchange prisoners of war, as well as the importance of the work being carried out in this regard by Cardinal (Matteo) Zuppi“, he added Vatican
Cardinal Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, is the Vatican's peace envoy for Ukraine, Reuters reported.
During his conversation with Pope Leo XIV, which the Kremlin described as "constructive", Putin also criticized Ukrainian authorities for banning the Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox Church, which used to have the largest number of followers in Ukraine, in 2024. He called on the Vatican to "engage more actively in religious freedom in Ukraine".
Putin also expressed his "gratitude" to the pope "for his readiness to contribute to the resolution" of the conflict.
In recent weeks, the Vatican has been seen as one of the possible venues for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other Russian officials have said that the Vatican is not a suitable place for peace talks between two Orthodox countries.