Putin holds phone call with Pope

The Kremlin has claimed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with Pope Leo XIV on 4 June.

Source: the Kremlin news agency; Vatican News

Details: This was Putin's first conversation with the new head of the Catholic Church. The Russian leader and the Pope discussed the war with Ukraine and Putin thanked Pope Leo XIV "for his willingness to assist in settling the crisis, including through the Vatican's depoliticised participation in resolving urgent humanitarian issues".

Putin also supposedly confirmed his "interest in reaching peace in a politico-diplomatic way, emphasising that for a final, just and all-encompassing resolution of the crisis, it is first necessary to eliminate all of its root causes".

In addition, he talked to the Pope about the "specific agreements" concerning the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of the deceased reached during the second round of negotiations and claimed that "the Russian side is taking all the necessary measures to reunite the children with their relatives".

Moreover, Putin claimed that Kyiv is "sabotaging civilian infrastructure on Russian territory". 

Updated: A spokesperson of the Holy See confirmed that a phone conversation between Pope Leo XIV and Putin had occurred.

The Vatican news agency noted that the conversation focused specifically on the situation in Ukraine and the topic of war. The Pope urged Russia to make a gesture that would help reach peace. He also emphasised the importance of dialogue in establishing a positive relationship between parties and finding a way to resolve the conflict. 

Background: 

• Pope Leo XIV proposed the Vatican as a venue for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, an idea supported by Kyiv, European states and the United States.
• However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow would not participate in negotiations with Ukraine at the Vatican: according to Lavrov, a meeting of representatives from "two Orthodox countries" on a "Catholic platform" would be "somewhat uncomfortable" for the Vatican itself.

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