Pope Leo speaks with Volodymyr Zelensky after giving first address to thousands of media

In his first-known call with a foreign leader, Pope Leo XIV has spoken with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president said. Find out what they discussed.

Pope Leo XIV had a phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and spoke of his hope that the war between Russia and Ukraine will end.

On Monday the Holy See Press Office’s director Matteo Bruni said the pair had a phone conversation after the 69-year-old pontiff gave an address from the central loggia of St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday afternoon.

Following their phone call, President Zelensky posted on social media platform X, “I spoke with Pope Leo XIV. It was our first conversation, but already a very warm and truly substantive one.

“I thanked his holiness for his support of Ukraine and all our people.

“We deeply value his words about the need to achieve a just and lasting peace for our country and the release of prisoners”.

I spoke with Pope Leo XIV. It was our first conversation, but already a very warm and truly substantive one.

I thanked His Holiness for his support of Ukraine and all our people. We deeply value his words about the need to achieve a just and lasting peace for our country and the… pic.twitter.com/4ocbA7jnMK

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2025

President Zelensky also said he has invited the pontiff to make an Apostolic journey to Ukraine and said a visit, “would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people.

“We agreed to stay in contact and plan an in-person meeting in the near future,” he said.

President Zelensky said he wanted to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin this Thursday in Turkey and put an end to the war.

This came after US president Donald Trump said Ukraine should agree to Putin’s offer for the two nations to hold peace talks.

The 69-year-old gave an 11-minute address to thousands of international media who packed into the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Monday. Picture: AFP

The Pope said he was grateful for the weeks of reporting on recent events including the death of Pope Francis, his funeral and the conclave. Picture: Tiziana FABI / AFP

It comes as Pope Leo XIV urged the media to “say ‘no’ to the war of words and images” and to move away from the “stereotypes and cliches” of Christian life.

The 69-year-old gave an 11-minute address to thousands of international media who packed into the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Monday.

The address was given in Italian and the English translation was given on big monitors.

He said he was grateful for the weeks of reporting on recent events including the death of Pope Francis, his funeral and the conclave.

Given a standing ovation on his arrival to the hall, Leo urged the media to carefully choose their ways to communicate information and said this includes making sure their reporting “does not seek consensus at all costs, does not use aggressive words, does not follow the culture of competition, and never separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it.”

Pope Leo XIV shakes the hands and greets people of the press after an audience with thousands of journalists and media workers. The audience with journalists has become a tradition among newly elected popes. Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

“The way we communicate is of fundamental importance,” he said. “We must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images; we must reject the paradigm of war.”

Leo also thanked reporters for reporting on the Roman Catholic Church, highlightly the “diversity” and its “unity”.

He also spoke of his sadness of the death of Francis and reiterated a message made by him for this year’s World Day of Social Communications and said: “Let us disarm communications of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred, let us free it from aggression”.

“We do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices”.

After giving his address he meandered his way through the crowd, shaking the hands of many attendees including members of the foreign press.

Some journalists asked him to sign his autograph and write messages on notepads they had with him, while some others also tried - unsuccessfully - to have selfies taken with him.

No questions were asked at the press event.

Pope Leo XIV leads an audience to representatives of the media, at Paul-VI hall in The Vatican. Picture: AFP

After giving his address he meandered his way through the crowd, shaking the hands of many attendees including members of the foreign press. Picture: AFP

Leo has made international headlines in recent days over his handling of sexual abuse scandals after US-based network, The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), accused him of inaction.

The advocacy group published online that they filed a complaint against him (Robert Prevost) on March 5 over claims that he failed to act over abuse allegations of minors.

The claims involved Father James Ray, who SNAP alleged Leo allowed to reside at the Augustinians’ St. John Stone Friary in Chicago in 2000 and to live close to a Catholic elementary school.

Reports claim that the Vatican denied that Leo approved Ray to move to the Friary.

Pope Leo XIV appears at the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica for his first Sunday blessing after his election, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. Picture: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

More than 6000 media have been accredited to report on the events at the Vatican following the death and subsequent funeral of the late Pope Francis, travelling from all over the world and speaking dozens of languages to relay the changing of the guard for the 1.4 billion Catholics.

Leo used his first prayer address at St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday to call for the end to war in regions including Ukraine, Gaza and the Indian/Pakistan border.

“In today’s dramatic content of a third world war fought piecemeal … I appeal to the powerful of the world by repeating these ever-relevant words: never again war,” he said.

He weighed into the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and said: “I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people. Every effort be made to reach a true, just and lasting peace as soon as possible. May all prisoners be freed, and may the children be returned to their families”.

Addressing hundreds of thousands of people from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica at the prayer service urged for the conflicts across the globe to end.

Pope Leo XIV delivers the Regina Caeli prayer from the main central loggia of St Peter's basilica. Picture: Mario Tama/Getty Images

He also welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and told the crowd: “I hope that, through the upcoming negotiations, a lasting agreement may soon be reached”.

Leo also spoke of his concerns with the Israel-Gaza conflict and said: “I am deeply pained by what is happening,” he said.

“Let the fighting cease immediately, let humanitarian aid be provided to the exhausted civilian population, and may all hostages be released”.

Hundreds of thousands of people including religious leaders, worshippers and tourists turned out for the event at Vatican City, which included a parade of religious groups and representatives playing music as they walked along Via Della Conciliazione to St Peter’s Square.

Many people waved flags, sang and played music as they welcomed the Chicago-born religious leader.

Originally published as Pope Leo speaks with Volodymyr Zelensky after giving first address to thousands of media