Pope confirms readiness to visit Ukraine, cites security challenges

Four days after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV confirmed that he is ready to visit Ukraine, though security concerns remain a significant challenge, ANSA reports.

The Vatican has already developed an organisational plan that will allow it to visit a country ravaged by nearly four years of war.

“The hope is yes [the visit will happen], but I do not know when. In such matters, one must be realistic,” he told journalists, reiterating his desire to contribute to a “just and lasting peace.”

The Pope also urged Italian diplomats to support these efforts. “To preserve and promote true peace, you must be people of dialogue, wise in interpreting the signs of the times according to the code of Christian humanism that underpins Italian and European culture,” he added.

By Khagan Isayev