Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – A "constructive and mutually respectful" conversation. This is how the Kremlin described the phone call between Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place Friday afternoon. To the Pontiff, who requested a truce in the town of Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid, the tsar provided an "exhaustive explanation" of what the Kremlin believes to be Kiev's responsibility for the humanitarian situation in the town.
And in the evening he also announced that the Russian armed forces will continue to attack energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
"Battalion commanders must continue to carry out their duties in strict accordance with the objectives of the special military operation. Naturally, it is necessary to continue mass attacks against enemy defensive installations and logistics centers," he said during a visit to a command post.
"During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the town of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, asking for a truce to allow the arrival of food and medical aid and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population," the Vatican said.
"The Holy Father finally reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to dialogue and peace," the statement explained. The telephone conversation between the Pope, from the Gemelli Hospital, and Putin is not unique. The Pontiff and the Russian president had already spoken on June 4, 2025. Yesterday's phone call followed the visits to Moscow by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Foreign Minister, in August, and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi at the end of September.
Putin thanked the Pope for his willingness to contribute to the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine during a telephone conversation, during which he stressed the importance of cooperation between Russia and the Vatican, the Kremlin reported.
And he then illustrated to Leo XIV with an “exhaustive explanation” what the Kremlin believes to be Kiev’s responsibility for the humanitarian situation in the city.
The Russian president expressed support for the Vatican's initiative to create the necessary conditions to ensure the safety of the population of Oleshky and allow the arrival of essential supplies.
Putin – who expressed his “sincere wishes for health and a speedy recovery” to the Pope after his recent surgery – is unwilling to negotiate the creation of a security zone in eastern Ukraine, declaring that the issue will not be subject to negotiations.
The Pope, who has been hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital since last Tuesday for the removal of a lung tumor, is "steadily improving," according to doctors in a bulletin. Yesterday, after four days, the Vatican released some reassuring images showing the Pontiff presiding over Mass on the tenth floor of the Gemelli Hospital. On Sunday, the Pope will lead the Angelus: it is not yet known whether he will do so from the Gemelli—as was the case with Wojtyla and Bergoglio—or from St. Peter's Square. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni explained that the post-operative recovery, estimated by doctors at "one week," remains confirmed for now.
As for the trip to Latin America, scheduled for November 6th, the organization is moving forward, so much so that today the Vatican released the list of newspapers admitted to the papal flight. This, however, does not constitute a certainty as to whether the trip will actually take place. There was a precedent, linked to Pope Francis's trip to South Sudan, which was later postponed. Today, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on the sidelines of an event in Rome, asked by the media what he meant by "rescheduling the pontificate" on Thursday, if necessary, replied: "At least with respect to this upcoming trip."
Parolin also stated that it was the Pope who took "the initiative to plead the cause of this city that is under siege," referring to the phone call with Putin. The Secretary of State expressed confidence in Moscow's response: "I hope that, faced with a request from the Holy Father, President Putin will agree to implement what the Pope has asked of him. I think so." As reported by SIR, the cardinal preferred not to elaborate on the significance of the Russian president's willingness to meet, specifying that he was "only making conjectures." He added that his "hope" was that "what the Pope has asked for will truly be fulfilled."
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