Pope Leo XIV calls for ‘true and lasting peace’ in Ukraine

In his first public address as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV called for a “true, just, and lasting peace” in Ukraine on May 11 while denouncing Russia’s invasion and urging world leaders to reject war. 

“I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people. May everything possible be done to achieve a true, just and lasting peace as soon as possible. May all prisoners be released and children return to their families,” the Pope said, according to the Associated Press.

He delivered the address from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, where an estimated 100,000 people had gathered to hear him speak.

“I too address the world’s great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war’,” he said, adding that the world is currently experiencing the “third world war in pieces.”

The Pope also stressed the need for negotiations. Just days earlier, in a May 9 interview with Peruvian outlet Semanario Expresión, he strongly condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He described the war as “a very serious issue affecting the entire world” and “a true imperialist invasion.”

“This is an imperialist invasion rooted in Russia’s desire for power and dominance, driven by Ukraine’s strategic location and its cultural, historical, and industrial significance,” he said.

He also noted that crimes against humanity are being committed in Ukraine.

“We must pray for peace, but we must also be clearer in our actions,” the Pope said.

“Even some politicians in our own country refuse to acknowledge the horrors of this war and the evil that Russia is committing in Ukraine,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV held his first telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 12. The two discussed the prospects for a ceasefire and potential negotiations with Russia. 

Zelenskyy, in turn, invited the Pope to visit Ukraine.

“Ukraine wants to end this war and is doing everything to achieve that. We now await similar steps from Russia,” Zelenskyy said following the call.

The Pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of the United States, was elected on May 8. He is 69 years old and chose the papal name Leo XIV.

The Ukrainian World Congress has extended heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness Leo XIV on his election to the throne of Saint Peter, expressing hope that he will be a voice of peace for Ukraine’s long-suffering people.