Zelenskyy meets Pope Francis, seeks support for Ukraine peace plan.

Ukrainian President Meets with Pope Francis to Seek Support for Peace Plan

Private Talks at the Vatican

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday to discuss Ukraine’s peace plan. The two leaders had a private audience, during which Zelenskyy sought the pontiff’s support in ending the full-scale war launched by Russia a year ago.

Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to Francis for his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians in a tweet after the 40-minute audience. He also spoke with the pope about the tens of thousands of deported Ukrainian children, saying, “We must make every effort to return them home.”

Peace Formula and Support from Italy and Germany

Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan includes establishing a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes, creating a European-Atlantic security architecture with guarantees for Ukraine, restoring Ukraine’s damaged power infrastructure, and ensuring safety around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia.

Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy received pledges of open-ended military and financial support from Italian officials, as well as stronger backing for Ukraine’s aim to join the European Union. Italian President Sergio Mattarella assured Zelenskyy that Italy would continue to support Ukraine militarily and financially, as well as with reconstruction and humanitarian aid.

The German government also announced that it was providing Ukraine with additional military aid worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion), including tanks, anti-aircraft systems, and ammunition. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany wanted to show with the latest package of arms “that Germany is serious in its support” for Ukraine.

Mediation and Condemnation of Russian Crimes

Zelenskyy also asked the pope to condemn Russian “crimes in Ukraine” and spoke about his peace formula as the only effective algorithm for achieving a just peace. However, he indicated that mediation in general would be impossible, saying, “You can’t mediate with Putin.”

There has been speculation about whether the Vatican could play some mediating role, but in an Italian TV interview on Saturday, Zelenskyy indicated that he did not believe it was possible.

Recent Developments

The meeting between Zelenskyy and Francis came as Russia’s defense ministry said Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles delivered to Ukraine by the United Kingdom this week damaged unspecified civilian enterprises in Luhansk province in Ukraine’s far east. Luhansk authorities separately said another missile strike hit the regional capital, wounding an elderly woman.

Two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and an Su-34 fighter-bomber crashed Saturday in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, state news agency Tass and a Telegram channel close to the Russian defense ministry reported. The causes of the crashes were not immediately disclosed, but concern in Bryansk is growing about cross-border attacks from Ukraine.

Despite these recent developments, some Ukrainian units continue to push forward near Bakhmut, with the commander of Ukraine’s land forces saying on Telegram that “our soldiers are moving forward in some sectors of the front, and the enemy is losing equipment and manpower.”