Ukraine Warupdated 1h ago3 min read
Pope Leo XIV Urges Vladimir Putin Ceasefire To Deliver Aid To Oleshky
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Pope Leo XIV urged Putin to declare a humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky Ceasefire aimed to allow delivery of humanitarian and medical aid
13 outlets told this the same way.
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Pope seeks truce in Oleshky
Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin from his room in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 16 and asked for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance to Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region.
“The Pope ‘reiterated the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace.’”
The Vatican said the Pope expressed “deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire” to enable voluntary and safe evacuation of civilians.
The Kremlin said Putin wished the Pope a speedy recovery and thanked him for his willingness to contribute to resolving the conflict and for his humanitarian efforts.
The call marked the second time the two leaders spoke, after their first conversation on June 4, 2025, and the Vatican said it did not specify who initiated the call.
The Vatican also said the Pope “reiterated the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace,” while the Kremlin said both sides stressed their interest in continuing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
Humanitarian crisis and competing blame
Ukrainian officials described Oleshky as a place where about 2,000 civilians including some 40 children are trapped and hungry, and they said deliveries ended in May after people attempting to enter and exit were killed by mines or drones on the main road. The New York Times reported that “There is no food, no safety and no escape,” and it said Ukraine blames Russia for the crisis because its forces “have attacked Ukrainian drones trying to drop aid, intimidated residents who collected supplies that did get through….” The Kremlin’s readout said Putin provided “a detailed explanation” about what it called the Kyiv regime’s responsibility for the difficult humanitarian situation in Oleshky.
The Vatican statement did not mention the Kremlin’s explanations and used the Ukrainian name for the city, while the Kremlin described it as the “Russian city of Alyoshki, Kherson region.” Cardinal Pietro Parolin said it was “the Holy Father who took the initiative” to call Putin to plead the case of a besieged city where around 2,000 civilians need safe routes out and humanitarian corridors.
What comes next for aid
The Vatican said Pope Leo called for a truce “to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance” and for the “voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population,” framing the request around humanitarian access in Oleshky. The Kremlin said it agreed to cooperate, stating that “It has been agreed to cooperate on this matter,” and it said Putin supported the Vatican’s intention to create conditions for civilian safety and organize vital supplies. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the “Russian occupation authorities are effectively holding civilians, including children, hostage,” and he called it “nothing other than a man-made humanitarian catastrophe.”
The OSV News account said Russian forces imposed a “humanitarian blockade,” with food supplies last “delivered to the area at the end of May,” and it said residents were “effectively trapped in a ‘gray zone’ near the front line.” The call also came as the Security Service of Ukraine warned of a Russian disinformation campaign, saying Russian troops received orders to prepare propaganda materials with Oleshky locals to portray Moscow in a positive light and “accuse the Ukrainian Defense Forces of constant shelling and blockade of the city.”