Photo: meeting between Zelenskyy and Pope Francis on 13 May 2023 Vatican Media
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis. This was reported by the Italian news agency ANSA on 11 October.
This is the third meeting between Zelenskyy and Pope Francis. Previously, they spoke on 8 February 2020 and 13 May 2023, when the Pontiff received the Ukrainian leader during his previous visits to the Vatican. In addition, Francis and Zelenskyy met on 14 June 2023 in Puglia during the Group of Seven (G7) summit.
The meeting will take place in the Apostolic Palace, and the main topic of discussion is expected to be the situation in Ukraine, in particular the humanitarian crisis caused by the war and the peacekeeping initiatives of the Holy See. Before the meeting with the Ukrainian president, the Pope also received Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Agence France-Presse also broadcast Zelenskyy’s arrival at the Vatican, drawing attention to the importance of these talks in the context of seeking international support for Ukraine.
