Pope Francis telephoned Ukraine president

Also on Twitter, the Ukrainian president thanked the Pontiff "for praying for peace in Ukraine and a cease-fire."

"The Ukrainian people feel the spiritual support of His Holiness," he added.

On June 29, 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Pope Francis on the occasion of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The two heads of state discussed the conflict that had plagued the region since 2013. They also met in the Vatican in February 2020.

Zelensky is the first Jewish president of Ukraine.

On February 25, the pope assured that he would do “everything in [his] power” to end the crisis, during a conversation with His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of the Greek Catholic Church, as reported by the archbishop.

The Pontiff has repeatedly advocated for a peaceful solution in the current conflict. In particular, leaving aside protocol, he personally visited the Russian embassy to the Holy See on February 25 to express his concern with the war.