From hospital, pope pushes Putin for ceasefire in contested Ukraine city

Vatican City - Pope Leo XIV engaged in a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin via telephone on Friday, urging for a ceasefire in Oleshky, a city under Russian control in southern Ukraine. Pope Leo expressed his grave concern over the dire humanitarian circumstances in Oleshky and implored for a ceasefire to facilitate the delivery of food and medical aid, and the safe, voluntary evacuation of civilians.

This unexpected communication from the Vatican surfaced on Friday evening, highlighting that the ailing pope continues to be actively involved in addressing global issues, even following his medical procedure to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung on Tuesday. The residents of Oleshky are grappling with an escalating humanitarian crisis, as they are besieged by shortages of food and medication, caught in the maelstrom of conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, denounced the situation in Oleshky as dire on Friday, urging Russia to permit civilians to evacuate. In a note, the Kremlin confirmed that the two leaders had discussed the matter.