Pope Leo Hopes Oleshky Ceasefire Will Open the Way to Wider Peace Talks
Pope Leo has said that cooperation behind a short ceasefire in the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky could help open the way to broader peace efforts.
- Ceasefire agreed
- 23 October, for six days
- Purpose
- Aid deliveries and evacuations from a frontline town facing severe food and medicine shortages
- Brokered by
- US first lady Melania Trump, with the Pope also involved
- Next step
- Peace negotiators are due to meet in early November, according to Zelenskiy
The Pope’s Message
Speaking during his Sunday prayer, Pope Leo said a humanitarian operation had been carried out to help civilians in Oleshky. He hoped the parties’ cooperation on that effort would strengthen their willingness to talk and produce new, concrete steps towards peace.
Background
Pope Leo spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on 16 October. According to the Kremlin, Putin backed a Vatican initiative to deliver supplies to civilians in Oleshky and said Russia was ready to cooperate.
A Note on the Vatican’s Role
The Vatican’s foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, said that although the Pope had recently spoken with both leaders, he did not believe the Vatican had directly arranged the six-day ceasefire.
