The Pope 14th Leo turned to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for a gesture in the name of peace in the situation around Ukraine. This is stated in the official statement of the press service of the Vatican following the results of a telephone conversation that was this afternoon.
The message notes that mutual interests were discussed during the conversation, while special attention was paid to the situation in Ukraine and the issue of peace. Dad emphasized the importance of dialogue to establish positive contacts between the parties and search for ways to resolve the conflict.
The leaders also affected the humanitarian situation, the need to deliver assistance to the injured regions and the efforts to exchange prisoners. In this regard, the role of the special representative of the previous Pope Francis, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppy, who oversees the steps to establish peace in Ukraine, was noted.
The Vatican noted that during the conversation, the 14th lion thanked Putin for a congratulation directed at the Holy See from the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Cyril. Dad emphasized that common Christian values can serve as light in the desire for peace, protect life and genuine religious freedom.
In turn, the Kremlin said that Putin expressed his readiness to solve the crisis in Ukraine with political and diplomatic means, indicating the need to eliminate the main causes of the conflict. The Russian leader also thanked the dad for the participation of the Vatican in solving humanitarian issues and the willingness to contribute to the settlement of the situation.