Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters he was “relying heavily on the Vatican” in peace efforts with Russia, which initiated a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.

He was speaking to journalists shortly after meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday in Castel Gandolfo, where the Holy Father is taking a short vacation.

“Naturally, we want this war to end, and naturally, we rely heavily on the Vatican, that the Vatican and His Holiness can help us with a high-level meeting place to end this war,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has been making slow advances in Ukraine, but is suffering huge casualties, as are the Ukrainians.

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A Vatican statement issued on Wednesday said Leo and Zelenskyy discussed “the ongoing conflict and the urgent need for a just and lasting peace.”

“During the cordial conversation, the importance of dialogue as the preferred means of ending hostilities was reaffirmed. The Holy Father expressed his sorrow for the victims and renewed his prayers and closeness to the Ukrainian people, encouraging every effort aimed at the release of prisoners and the search for shared solutions,” the statement said.

“The Holy Father reiterated the willingness to welcome representatives of Russia and Ukraine to the Vatican for negotiations,” it added.

The Ukrainian leader later spoke about the meeting on X – formerly known as Twitter – saying he was grateful for the meeting and said he had “a very substantive conversation” with Pope Leo.

“We value all the support and every prayer for peace in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

“The proposal to hold meetings at the level of leaders at the Vatican remains open and entirely possible, with the goal of stopping Russian aggression and achieving a stable, lasting, and genuine peace. At present, only Moscow continues to reject this proposal, as it has turned down all other peace initiatives,” he added.

“We will continue to strengthen global solidarity so that diplomacy can still succeed. I especially thanked the Pope for his support of Ukrainian children, particularly those returned from Russian captivity. Ukrainian children now have the opportunity for rehabilitation and rest in Italy, and such hospitality and sincerity are extremely important. Today, we also discussed the Vatican’s continued efforts to help return Ukrainian children abducted by Russia,” the Ukrainian president continued.

“I spoke to His Holiness about the deep respect that Ukrainian society holds for Andrey Sheptytsky — his actions, including the rescue of Jews during the Second World War and his defense of the Christian faith. We hope that Metropolitan Sheptytsky’s contribution and merits will receive the recognition they deserve,” Zelenskyy said.

Sheptytsky was the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Metropolitan of Galicia and Archbishop of Lviv. He ruled the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1901, and saw  two world wars in office, and was under six political regimes: The Austrian-Hungarian Empire, the independent Ukraine, the Soviet Union, Poland, Nazi Germy, and died under the Soviet Union.

The president also invited Pope Leo to visit Ukraine.

The meeting between the two men came just after Russia launched its largest drone strike against Ukraine.

“This is a telling attack – and it comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace, to establish a ceasefire, and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.

Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome