Zelensky meets with Pope Francis at Vatican

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has met with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The president called on the pontiff to join the implementation of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, Ukrinform reports with reference to the head of state's Telegram channel.

"Met with Pope Francis. I am grateful for his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians. I also emphasized that tens of thousands of children were deported. We must make every effort to return them home. In addition, I asked to condemn Russian crimes in Ukraine. Because there cannot be equality between the victim and the aggressor," he wrote.

Zelensky also informed the Pope about the Peace Formula as, according to him, the only effective algorithm for achieving a just peace, and offered to join its implementation.

As Ukrinform reports, referring to ANSA, Pope Francis gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a small sculpture representing an olive branch, the symbol of peace. The Ukrainian president, on the other hand, gave the Pope an icon of Our Lady painted on the remains of a bulletproof vest.

As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky is on his first visit to Italy since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Photo: Vatican Media