Pope Leo XIV marked the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence day—Aug. 24—by sending a message to the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and by telling pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square that he joined Ukrainians in asking the Lord “to grant peace to their martyred country.”

Ukraine gained its independence from the former Soviet Union on Aug. 24, 1991, when the Ukrainian Parliament declared independence, and this was later confirmed by a popular referendum on Dec. 1 of that same year, with more than 90 percent of the people voting in favour. In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimea and pro-Russian paramilitaries with support from Moscow seized towns in the country’s eastern Donbas region. In 2022, that became part of a wider war. 

On Feb. 24, 2022, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian armed forces to invade Ukraine, which then had some 40 million people. Since then, the war has led millions to flee to neighbouring countries to escape, while millions more are internally displaced.

The casualties of the war are notably difficult to estimate. In June, the U,S,-based Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated Russian military deaths around 250,000 and total casualties, including the wounded, at more than 950,000. Between 60,000 and 100,000 Ukrainian personnel have been killed, with the total casualties reaching approximately 400,000, according to a report from The Guardian.

Since becoming pope on May 8, Pope Leo has twice had private face-to-face meetings with Ukraine’s President Zelensky—on May 18 in the Vatican, and on July 9 at Castel Gandolfo—and sent him a letter today for the 34th anniversary of the country’s independence. Zelensky published the letter on his X account along with letters from other world leaders including President Trump, China’s Chairman Xi Jinping, German’s Chancellor Merz, France’s President Macron and King Charles III of the United Kingdom.

Vatican media also published a report on the letter today.

Pope Leo wrote:

To His Excellency President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

With a heart wounded by the violence that ravages your land, I address you on this day of your national feast.

I wish to assure you of my prayer for the people of Ukraine who suffer from war—especially for all those wounded in body, for those bereaved by the death of a loved one, and for those deprived of their homes.

May God Himself console them: may he strengthen the injured and grant eternal rest to the departed.

I implore the Lord to move the hearts of people of good will, that the clamour of arms may fall silent and give way to dialogue, opening the path to peace for the good of all.

I entrust your nation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV

“I am sincerely grateful to His Holiness for his thoughtful words, prayer and attention to the people of Ukraine amid devastating war,” President Zelensky said on X. “All of our hopes and efforts are for our nation to achieve the long-awaited peace. For good, truth, and justice to prevail. We appreciate @pontifex’s moral leadership and apostolic support.”

He also spoke about Ukraine when he greeted thousands of pilgrims from many countries as well as the seminarians and faculty of the Pontifical North American College at midday. But first he expressed his “closeness” to the people of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, “who have become victims of an insecure and violent situation that continues to cause death and displacement.” He asked people to pray that the efforts of the country’s leaders “will succeed in restoring security and peace in that territory.”

Pope Leo then recalled the day of prayer and fasting observed Aug. 22 for all those suffering from the scourge of war. With this in mind and marking the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, he said, “today we join our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who, with the spiritual initiative ‘World Prayer for Ukraine,’ are asking the Lord to grant peace to their martyred country.”

In an interview with Vatican Media, the head of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, spoke about how three and a half years of war have shaped this church and the country. 

“First, we have seen the emergence of a new civic and political society. My predecessor, Lubomyr Husar, said Ukraine’s divisions were never about language, ethnicity or denomination—they were between those who love Ukraine and those who do not,” he said. The war has made this unmistakable.” 

A second important development, he said, relates to Ukraine’s inclusive identity. 

“Today, being Ukrainian is not only about ethnicity, culture or language, but about defending an independent Ukraine. Jews, Muslims of many backgrounds, Russians, Poles, Hungarians, Greeks—everyone who lives here and defends the country forms part of this Ukrainian identity,” the archbishop said. “No one says, nor ever will say, ‘Ukraine only for Ukrainians.’ No one needs to fight for minority rights—they are naturally respected.” 

He said this inclusiveness is also “reflected in the churches’ humanitarian and social work: aid is offered to all, without asking who belongs to which church or nation. Such solidarity, rooted in Christian identity, now extends to everyone and is the secret of Ukraine’s resilience.”

Major Archbishop Shevchuk said, “History shows peoples grow united in common trials, and this war is such a trial. Russian missiles do not distinguish between Orthodox or Catholics, Christians, Muslims or Jews. All are wounded alike, all need healing. Through tragedy, Ukraine is growing in unity, and Independence Day is now felt as a celebration of national unity and a common project: rebuilding a stronger, more clearly defined, truly European Ukraine.”

Asked how he viewed the international efforts to end the war, the Ukrainian archbishop said, “there is great hope that these international efforts, even at the highest levels, may bring an end to this blind and senseless war.” 

“Ordinary people see something unprecedented: since the war began, never has there been such strong international pressure on Russia to stop killing Ukrainians,” he added. “Just last week, all European leaders joined our president in Washington to support Ukraine’s security guarantees. This shows they see Ukraine as part of Europe culturally and economically. In the future, Ukraine would ensure the safety of Europe’s borders. Ukraine is already part of Europe’s reality, and today the future of a united Europe is being decided here.”

Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.