Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy recently met with Pope Francis at the Vatican to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and seek support for his “victory plan”. The two leaders talked about the state of the conflict, the humanitarian situation, and potential solutions for bringing the war to an end. Zelenskyy has been traveling across Europe to gather support for his proposal, which aims to create the right conditions for a just resolution to the conflict with Russia.
Since the first Russian attack on Kyiv, Francis and Zelenskyy have been in close communication, exchanging visits, letters, and phone calls. Pope Francis has been a strong advocate for ending the war in Ukraine through diplomatic means, focusing on prisoner exchanges and negotiations with Russia. However, his suggestion in March for Ukrainian leaders to consider a negotiated end to the war was met with some criticism, with many viewing it as a call to surrender.
Prior to meeting with the Pope, Zelenskyy discussed his victory plan with European allies, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in London, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron in France. Zelenskyy also received full support from Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni for Ukraine’s efforts to build lasting peace. The Ukrainian leader has yet to publicly present his proposals, but his efforts to secure European support seem to be influenced by the upcoming US presidential election in November.
Zelenskyy had originally planned to present his blueprint for victory at a meeting of Western leaders in Germany, but the gathering was postponed due to the need for President Joe Biden to address the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in the US. With the possibility of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House next year, Zelenskyy is likely seeking to garner as much international support as possible for his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. By engaging with key European allies and world leaders like Pope Francis, Zelenskyy is working towards finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
