Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and Pope Leo XIV discussed the return of children deported to Russia and the release of prisoners of war and civilian hostages.
“During my working visit to Rome, I visited the Vatican, where I had the honor of meeting His Holiness Pope Leo XIV… We discussed the humanitarian situation, focusing primarily on ways to strengthen international efforts to return Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia, Ukrainian prisoners of war, and civilian hostages,” Stefanchuk wrote on Facebook on Friday.
According to Stefanchuk, he informed His Holiness about Ukraine’s ongoing consultations with the United States and European partners, emphasizing the importance of coordinating positions and maintaining international unity.
He stressed that Ukraine seeks peace, but not on the aggressor’s terms — not through concessions and not at the cost of legitimizing the occupation of its territories.
Stefanchuk invited the Pope to make an Apostolic visit to Ukraine.
“A visit to our country would be a powerful sign of solidarity and spiritual support for millions of Ukrainians in these difficult times,” the speaker emphasized.
