Ukraine Crisis Archives

Ukrainian president again asks pope to help with citizens’ release

Jun 10, 2020

In a phone conversation with Pope Francis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed for help in securing the release of Ukrainian citizens being held in areas occupied by Russian or pro-Russian forces.

By Carol Glatz

Pope prays for ‘Normandy Summit,’ peace in Ukraine

Dec 9, 2019

Pope Francis offered prayers for a summit in France that will seek to bring an end to the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine.

By Junno Arocho Esteves

Archbishop mounts pressure for papal visit to Ukraine, says Moscow getting in the way

Sep 5, 2019

Bishop Borys Gudziak, one of nearly 50 Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops in Rome this week, has said he and his fellow prelates are pushing harder than ever for a papal visit to Ukraine – a trip he said is crucial to ending conflict in the country, but which is being held up by fear of potential reprisal from Russia.

By Elise Harris

Ukrainian archbishop rules out ‘appeasement’ as fighting flares again

Aug 16, 2019

As fighting intensified in eastern Ukraine, the major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church warned against “appeasing the aggressor” in the five-year war against Russian-backed separatists.

By Catholic News Service

If Pope Francis visits Ukraine, the war would stop, archbishop says

Jul 8, 2019

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has said that if Pope Francis were to visit Ukraine, the conflict tearing its eastern regions apart would come to an end.

By Elise Harris

Meetings with Putin, Ukraine bishops illustrate unresolved conflict

Jul 6, 2019

On Thursday Pope Francis met for the third time with Russian President Vladimir Putin for a conversation which inevitably touched on the nation’s ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, however, the Vatican was careful to shine the spotlight on both sides, scheduling a meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church the day after Putin’s visit, giving the conflict much higher visibility.

By Elise Harris