'Promoting peace is an active work' — Pope Leo urges concessions between Russia, Ukraine

On the last day of his official visit to France, Pope Leo XIV called for concessions to create peace between Russia and Ukraine on Sept. 28.

"Today, unfortunately, war has resurfaced even in Europe," Leo said, addressing European leaders. "It is necessary to engage in a dialogue of passion, to show courage in negotiation and to be ready to sacrifice certain positions for the superior good of peace."

The pontiff did not explicitly mention Russia or Ukraine and did not give details on what a peaceful resolution for the war would entail.

The Pope's speech came as Russian forces continue to attack and kill civilians across Ukraine in large-scale drone and missile attacks.

In the address, Leo outlined his vision of Europe as a safe haven for migrants and a protector of peace. The speech was held in the French city of Metz, the home of Robert Schuman, a founding father of the European Union, who was frequently mentioned by the Pope.

"Today, human relations between states are more and more barbaric," Leo said in French. "The value of the word lies in lies and deception. Europe can put an end to this spiral by respecting the other, which it has cultivated and preserved since it has widely demonstrated over the last 80 years that it is possible to value opinions, claims, and divergent interests by meeting earlier rather than later."

Since being elected in May 2025, Pope Leo, the first pope from the U.S., has frequently voiced his solidarity with Ukrainians.

On Aug. 25, the Vatican's foreign minister met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow in the first face-to-face talks between Moscow and the Vatican since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022.

Following the talks, Gallagher and Lavrov held a joint news conference, where the Vatican representative called for an end to the war and acknowledged "substantial differences" between Moscow and the Holy See.

Gallagher said that each day the war continues "creates new victims" and makes future reconciliation between Kyiv and Moscow increasingly difficult.