Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV in Rome ahead of Ukraine Recovery Conference
Editor's note: The story is being updated.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 9 met Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence southeast of Rome, ahead of a key conference devoted to Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.
It was the president's second meeting with the pontiff after his May visit to the Vatican.
In a statement following their talks, the Vatican said the two "discussed the ongoing conflict and the urgent need for a just and lasting peace." The statement noted that "the importance of dialogue as the preferred means of ending hostilities was reaffirmed."
Pope Leo also reiterated his willingness to host both Russian and Ukrainian representatives for negotiations at the Vatican. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously dismissed the Vatican as a potential venue for talks.
Zelensky thanked the pope for the meeting, calling it a "great honor" in a Telegram post following the talk.
"This meeting and the support for Ukraine and our people are extremely important," he wrote.
"We appreciate the help, solidarity, and all efforts that bring us closer to a just peace. We feel your sincere prayers and desire to help our people."
Zelensky later met with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
The trip comes only a day before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, which Ukraine and Italy will co-host on July 10 and 11. Zelensky is also expected to meet Kellogg on July 9, a day before the event, Reuters reported.
Rome is hosting the fourth Recovery Conference, bringing together political and business leaders to work toward Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction amid Russia's full-scale invasion.
The event comes as Russia intensifies aerial strikes across Ukraine and mounts ground offensives along the front line, causing destruction and putting ever greater strain on the Ukrainian economy.
The challenge is compounded by the Trump administration's growing reluctance to sustain large-scale support for the war-torn country.
The Financial Times reported on July 8 that Ukraine faces up to a $19-billion deficit next year, linked mainly to reduced U.S. support and slim prospects of a ceasefire. A senior EU official told the outlet that many of Ukraine's partners had previously counted on a peace deal in 2025, but are now forced to revise their funding plans.