Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met privately with Pope Francis on Friday where the two exchanged gifts in what appeared to be an easing of recent tensions between the two.
The meeting at the Vatican went on for more than a half-hour with Zelensky giving Francis a painting connected with the Russian massacre at the Kyiv suburb of Bucha before their troops were pushed out by Ukraine.
The pope gave Zelensky a bronze bas-relief and flower with the wording, “peace is a fragile flower,” according to the Kyiv Independent.
Afterward, the Holy See Press Office released a statement saying that the discussion centered on the “state of the war and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.” It also included “the ways that could put an end to it, leading to a just and stable peace in the country.”
In a separate message on X, Pope Francis did not mention Ukraine by name but said that countries have a right to live peacefully.
“All nations have the right to exist in peace and security,” Francis said. “Their territories must not be attacked, and their sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed through peace and dialogue. War and hatred bring only death and destruction for everyone.”
While Pope Francis has long condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started in 2022, he alarmed Kyiv in March that Ukraine must “not be ashamed to negotiate.” Some interpreted the comments as it was Ukraine’s responsibility to negotiate despite Russia starting the attack and controlling land in the country. UPI
