Pope assures Zelensky of 'constant prayer' as two leaders meet in Vatican

Rome tells Ukrainian president that Italy is fully behind him

- LIAM JAMES

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican yesterday, saying it was a great honour to meet the pontiff. Mr Zelensky held his hand on his heart as the pope, using a cane, came to greet him. “Thank you for your visit,” Francis said, as their 40-minute-long meeting began.

The president gave his host a bulletproof vest that had been used by a Ukrainian soldier and later painted with an image of the Madonna. The pope has a standing invitation from Mr Zelensky to visit Kyiv but has said previously that he also wants to visit Moscow as part of the same peace mission.

In a written statement, the Vatican said the two men spoke about Ukraine’s humanitarian and political situation provoked by the war going on. “The pope assured his constant prayer, paid witness to by his many public appeals and by his continued invoking of the Lord for peace, since February of last year.”

“Both agreed on the need to continue humanitarian efforts” to help the population. The pope underlined in particular the urgent need for ‘humanitarian gestures’ toward the most fragile persons, “innocent victims of the conflict”, the statement said.

Ahead of Mr Zelensky’s arrival in the late afternoon, police moved tourists to one side of St Peter’s Square so the Ukrainian president’s motorcade could speed across the vast cobblestone space.