The Vatican and the Kremlin have confirmed a telephone conversation between Pope Leo XIV and Vladimir Putin. According to the Holy See's press service, citing RBC-Ukraine via the Corriere Della Sera newspaper, the head of the Russian state called the pontiff, who is currently hospitalized following a recent lung cancer diagnosis. The central focus of the conversation was the critical humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast.

Call for Truce and Civilian Evacuation

In an official statement, the Holy See noted that during the conversation, the Pope expressed "deep concern over the severe humanitarian situation" in Oleshky. Leo XIV called for a truce to ensure the delivery of food and medical aid, as well as the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population. Separately, the pontiff reaffirmed the Vatican's commitment to dialogue and peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Humanitarian Crisis in Oleshky

The temporarily occupied town of Oleshky remains in an extremely difficult situation due to hostilities and restricted access. According to available data, residents are experiencing severe shortages of food and medicine, while the delivery of essential aid and civilian evacuation are significantly hampered. This was precisely the situation highlighted by the pontiff during his telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin.

Second Contact During the Pontificate

As the publication recalls, this is the second telephone conversation between Leo XIV and Vladimir Putin. Their previous talk took place on June 4 of last year. By comparison, former Pope Francis last spoke with Putin on December 17, 2021, on his birthday, and after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, all his attempts to directly contact the Russian leader proved unsuccessful.

Context: Call for Concessions for the Sake of Peace

The phone call with Putin fits into a broader diplomatic context. Earlier, during a trip to France, Leo XIV urged European leaders seeking to end the Russian-Ukrainian war to be prepared to cede some positions to achieve peace, drawing a parallel with Benedict XV's appeal in 1917. The pontiff also warned against expanding defense capacities, stating that "rearmament is not the solution to the problem.">