Pope Leo XIV Calls for Humanitarian Ceasefire in Russian-Occupied Oleshky, Ukraine, Amid Grave Crisis

Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing 'deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation' in the city of Oleshky in Ukraine's Kherson region. The Pope called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly food and medical assistance, and to enable the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population. Oleshky, a city of 24,000 before the invasion, has been under Russian occupation since 2022 and faces severe shortages of food, medicine, electricity, heat, and running water, with its trapped population dwindling to fewer than 2,000.