Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV as he continues seeking support amid peace talks
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV for a 30-minute discussion on Dec. 9 at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo during the president's visit to Italy.
The visit comes as Kyiv works to secure backing from key partners while navigating a fraught diplomatic landscape shaped by the latest U.S. push for a settlement. Zelensky is also set to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later in the day.
"During the talks, the Holy Father reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue," the Vatican said following the meeting. "In addition, the questions of prisoners of war and the need to assure the return of Ukrainian children to their families were also discussed."
Pope Leo, who has urged "a just and lasting peace" since assuming the papacy, has repeatedly voiced support for Ukrainians and signaled the Vatican's willingness to host negotiations.
European leaders have grown uneasy over being excluded from talks built around a U.S.–Russian draft plan — the one that demanded sweeping concessions from Kyiv and sparked alarm in EU capitals.
Zelensky's meeting with him follows talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other leaders in London on Dec. 8, before the Ukrainian president traveled to Brussels for meetings with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and senior EU officials.
The Ukrainian president told Bloomberg that negotiations with Washington still hinge on "sensitive issues," including security guarantees and the status of eastern Ukrainian regions.
Brussels remains divided over U.S. ideas for handling frozen Russian assets, with Belgium — where most of the funds are held — resisting proposals to redirect them.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said they held "constructive" discussions on Dec. 5 with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, though no shift in Belgium's position has been confirmed.
National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov visited the U.S. last week to continue revising the U.S.-backed plan. The effort comes as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner push ahead with parallel contacts.
Their Dec. 2 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow ended without progress.
Kremlin officials said Russia still refuses to compromise on its core demands, including blocking Ukraine's path to NATO and forcing a full withdrawal from parts of Donetsk Oblast — terms Kyiv rejects.
