The Pope had a telephone conversation this afternoon, from the Gemelli Hospital in Rome where he is hospitalized, with Russian President Vladimir Putin .
The Vatican press office reported this, underlining that Leo XIV expressed to the President of the Russian Federation "deep concern for the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region ."
The Pontiff called for "a truce to allow the arrival of food and medical aid and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population ." Leo finally reiterated the Holy See's commitment "to dialogue and peace."
Oleshky, a city under Russian occupation, is experiencing a grave humanitarian emergency. According to several NGOs monitoring the situation, the civilian population is facing shortages of food and medical care, while Russian attacks and landmines are making travel extremely difficult.
This is the second time Leo XIV has had a conversation with Vladimir Putin . This marks a turning point in relations between the Holy See and the Russian Federation, given that Pope Francis had never managed to speak with Putin since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.
The two had already spoken by telephone in June 2025. It is also worth remembering that Pope Leo had offered the Vatican as a possible venue for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Two of his envoys have recently been to Moscow: at the end of August, the Secretary for Relations with States, Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, and at the end of September, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, as envoy for humanitarian issues.
(Unioneonline)