Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday renewed his appeal for a worldwide truce on Christmas Day, saying he felt deep sadness after learning that Russia had apparently rejected a request for a temporary halt to fighting.
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, the pope called on “all people of good will” to honor at least one day of peace on the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Russia, which launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has repeatedly dismissed ceasefire proposals, arguing that any pause would benefit Ukraine militarily.
The pope said it pained him to hear that Moscow had declined the request, adding that he still hoped global conflicts could pause for twenty four hours.
His remarks came as Ukraine withdrew troops from a town in the east following intense clashes with Russian forces. Moscow’s latest strikes killed three civilians and left thousands without electricity amid freezing temperatures.
Despite recent meetings in Miami between negotiators from both countries and US officials, there has been no indication of a breakthrough toward ending nearly four years of war.
Pope Leo met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month. When asked whether he would accept Zelensky’s invitation to visit Ukraine, he said he hoped to do so but could not say when such a trip might be possible.
He also noted that achieving peace without European diplomatic involvement was unrealistic and cautioned that a proposed peace plan from US President Donald Trump could bring significant changes to the transatlantic relationship.
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