In separate phone calls Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV each urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue peace, following a series of deadly military strikes in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump said on X that he spoke with Putin for over an hour, focusing on the June 1 Ukrainian strike that reportedly destroyed a third of Russia’s cruise missile carriers. The strike came in response to a May 25 Russian missile barrage targeting Ukrainian cities.
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“It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace,” Trump wrote. “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”
Trump also raised concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying both leaders agreed that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.” He noted that Putin expressed willingness to help pressure Tehran to reach a decision swiftly.
Meanwhile, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV also spoke with Putin Wednesday afternoon, similarly urging Russia to pursue dialogue and peace.
“The Pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict,” said Matto Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, in a Vatican report.
The Vatican added that Pope Leo referenced ongoing efforts to negotiate prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, mentioning the work of Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, the Vatican’s peace envoy for Ukraine.
The Pope also thanked Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill for his earlier congratulations on Pope Leo’s election and emphasized the importance of shared Christian values “to seek peace, defend life, and pursue genuine religious freedom,” according ot Bruni.
Pope Leo has consistently advocated for peace between the two nations, even offering to host peace talks at the Vatican last month. As CatholicVote previously reported, the pontiff also spoke recently with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to facilitate a just and lasting peace.