Zelensky meets with Pope

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican on Friday.

This was reported by ANSA, as conveyed by Ukrinform.

It is noted that the talks between the pontiff and President Zelensky lasted 35 minutes, from 9:45 to 10:20.

After a private conversation at the Sala della Biblioteca and the presentation of the Ukrainian delegation, the Pope gave Zelensky a bronze plaque with a blooming flower and the inscription "Peace is a fragile flower."

Zelensky gifted the pontiff an oil painting depicting ‘The massacre of Bucha. The story of Marichka’, according to the Italian news agency.

Pope Francis also gave Zelensky his message for this year's World Day of Peace, the volumes of papal documents, the book on Statio Orbis from March 27, 2020, and the collection titled ‘Persecuted for the truth: Ukrainian Greek Catholics behind the iron curtain’.

After the meeting with the pontiff, the Ukrainian president and his delegation headed to the Secretariat of State for talks.

As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the Vatican on Friday morning, where he was to meet with Pope Francis.

This is the third visit of the Ukrainian leader to the Vatican; he previously met with the Pope on February 8, 2020, and May 13, 2023. The President and the pontiff also saw each other on June 14 during a bilateral meeting at the 50th G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Apulia.