Pope Leo Calls Putin from Hospital for Ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukraine

Pope Leo, recovering in hospital from a lung cancer operation, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. During the call, the pontiff urged a ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine's Kherson region. The Vatican reported that Pope Leo voiced deep concern over the grave humanitarian situation there and called for a halt to fighting to permit food and medical aid delivery, as well as the voluntary and safe evacuation of civilians. The surprise announcement on Friday evening indicated that the pope remains actively engaged in diplomatic efforts despite undergoing surgery on Tuesday to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. Residents of Oleshky are enduring a worsening humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food and medication, as they are trapped in the crossfire between Russian and Ukrainian troops. The call underscores the Vatican's continued focus on the war in Ukraine and the pope's personal commitment to peacemaking even while hospitalized.