Zelensky plans to attend Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo

Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: Andrew Medichini / Reuters

President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to attend the inaugural Mass of the newly elected Pope Leo at the Vatican, scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2025. The announcement was made by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak in a statement to Reuters.

Yermak said that Zelensky is “ready to hold talks with any other world leaders on the sidelines of the inauguration.” According to him, the pontiff expressed to Zelensky his willingness “to facilitate such meetings and promised to ‘do everything possible’ to help achieve a just and lasting peace.”

At the same time, Yermak admitted that Zelensky's attendance is not yet certain, given the President’s extremely busy schedule. “As you know, we still have several very important meetings before Sunday,” he said, referring to possible peace negotiations with the aggressor state in Turkey.

Yermak recalled that during the funeral of Pope Francis, Zelensky met with Donald Trump in St. Peter’s Basilica. “It’s a wonderful place for such meetings. The meeting with Trump is proof of that,” he said.

He also noted that the pope’s response to Zelensky’s invitation to visit Ukraine was “very, very positive,” although no commitments were made.

As previously reported  by the UOJ, Zelensky assured Pope Leo that he is ready for direct negotiations with Russia.

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