VATICAN CITY, May 19 — On Sunday, May 18, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, gifted the icon of the Mother of God and Child to Pope Leo XIV. It is painted on a fragment of a heavy artillery shell that was taken from the vicinity of Izium, a city in Kharkiv region, said Zelenskyy.

On May 18, the enthronement ceremony of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV took place in the Vatican. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olena Zelenska, the First Lady, attended the ceremonial mass.

After the mass, Pope Leo XIV met with the Ukrainian president and his wife. Zelenskyy gifted to the Pope an icon symbolizing Ukrainian children who suffered from war or were deported by Russia.

“The image of mother and child is a symbol of life that needs protection. Today, we pray for the lives of all our children who were deported (by Russia — ed.) and hope for support from the Vatican to bring home all Ukrainian children and prisoners,” said Zelenskyy.

Meeting of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican on May 18
Meeting of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican on May 18 / Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The Ukrainian president thanked the Vatican for its readiness to become a place for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Zelenskyy also remarked that Ukraine is ready for the dialogue in any format “to get real results.”

After the celebrations, Zelenskyy met with JD Vance, the US Vice President, and Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, calling the meeting “good.” 

The Ukrainian president and American officials discussed the talks in Istanbul, where Russia refused a 30-days ceasefire and reportedly threatened to occupy two northern regions of Ukraine if Kyiv doesn’t withdraw troops from the four oblasts Russia has seized since 2014.

The US and Ukraine also discussed the need to impose sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defense cooperation, the situation on the frontline, and the upcoming exchange of prisoners

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