Zelenskyy met with Pope Francis: details, photos, and videos

On Saturday, May 13, the Head of State, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, arrived at the Vatican for a private audience with Pope Francis. He was greeted at the Apostolic Palace.

This was reported by France 24 and Vatican News.

It is currently known that the leaders' meeting lasted about 40 minutes and was dedicated to the humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine after the war.

Zelensky outlined the points of the Ukrainian formula for peace, which include food security, the release of prisoners and deported persons, and the restoration of justice. He also called on the Vatican to join Ukraine's efforts to return Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia.

"As the war is taking place on the territory of Ukraine, the peace plan can only be Ukrainian,"  the President emphasized.

Pope Francis assured Zelenskyy of his constant prayers. They agreed on the constant demand to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the population, and the Pope emphasized, in particular, the need for "gestures of humanity" towards the most vulnerable and innocent victims of the conflict.

As is tradition, the leaders exchanged gifts. Pope Francis presented President Zelensky with a bronze sculpture representing an olive branch, a symbol of peace. He also presented a Document from 2019 on human fraternity for world peace and living together and an "Encyclical on peace in Ukraine."

For his part, the Ukrainian president brought the Pope a work of art made of bulletproof plate and the painting "Loss" about the killing of children during the conflict.

It should be noted that this meeting took place for the first time in almost 15 months of full-scale war as part of the Ukrainian leader's diplomatic tour. Zelenskyy already met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Georgia Maloney this morning.

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