ROME — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone with Pope Francis Friday, thanking him for his prayers and asking for support.
In a Twitter post Friday, Zelensky said he had briefed the pontiff on Russian aggression against Ukraine and “its horrible crimes” while also underscoring Ukraine’s need for “support of world spiritual leaders who should convey to the world the truth about acts of horror committed by the aggressor.”
“I thanked Pope Francis for praying for Ukraine during a talk with him,” Zelensky wrote in a separate post on Instagram. “I spoke about Russia’s aggression and the terrible crimes against our state.”
As Vatican News reported, Friday’s phone call was the third conversation between the two leaders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the first being on February 26 and the second on March 22.
The Ukrainian Ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, took advantage of the news story to reiterate Ukraine’s invitation to Francis to visit Kyiv. “Ukrainian state and society will be happy to greet the Holy Father,” he said on Twitter, adding that a “papal touch” to this suffering land can help “stop war and install peace.”
As Breitbart News reported, last Saturday, Pope Francis met with Yurash to discuss a possible visit to Ukraine. The ambassador suggested that the visit could take place before the pope’s trip to Kazakhstan, scheduled for September 13-15.
Ukraine has waited for the pope for many years, especially since the start of the war, and “will be happy to greet him before his trip to Kazakhstan,” Yurash wrote.