Pope Leo calls Putin from hospital, urging a truce for Oleshky
From his hospital bed, Pope Leo XIV spoke to Vladimir Putin and called for a ceasefire in the occupied city of Oleshky. Around 2,000 civilians need to get out safely.
Photo: Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Video: YouTube · Associated Press · youtube.com
Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and called for a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in the Kherson region. The pope called from Rome's Gemelli hospital, where he is recovering from lung surgery. According to the Vatican, he "expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation" in the city. A truce should allow food and medical aid in and the voluntary, safe evacuation of civilians.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the pope had "taken the initiative." About 2,000 civilians needed safe routes out and humanitarian corridors, he said, adding that he hoped Putin would agree to the request. According to Russian news agencies, Putin thanked the pope for his willingness to help resolve the conflict and wished him a speedy recovery – no commitment to a truce was reported. It was the second known call between the two, after one on June 4, 2025.