Pope Leo speaks with Putin by telephone from hospital

Pope Leo XIV “spoke by telephone” with Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation, from his room in the Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 16 and asked him to call for a ceasefire in Oleshky, a city in the Ukrainian region of Kherson, where the humanitarian situation is dire, the Vatican said in a note sent to the accredited media before noon EDT.

“During the conversation,” the Vatican said, “the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population.” 

About 2,000 civilians, including 40 children, are trapped in the city, The New York Times reported on Oct. 5. Oleshky is a city on the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine and sits directly in the line of fire along the war’s southern front. “A humanitarian calamity is unfolding,” The Times reported. “There is no food, no safety and no escape.” Drones, mines and destroyed infrastructure make it nearly impossible to survive in or to leave the city. Ukraine blames Russia for the crisis, The Times reports, because its forces “have attacked Ukrainian drones trying to drop aid, intimidated residents who collected supplies that did get through…. Hunger, Kyiv says, is being wielded as a tool of coercion.”

The Vatican statement concluded by saying that “the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace.”

It did not say who initiated the phone call, and made no mention of the Russian leader wishing Leo a rapid recovery. It was the second time the two leaders spoke. They spoke first on June 4, 2025, and the Vatican said, “The Pope made an appeal for Russia to make a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties [in conflict] and seek solutions to the conflict. Then, as now, the Vatican did not say who initiated the call.

After the Vatican released its statement, Reuters reported from Moscow that President Putin told the pope “that he supported a Vatican initiative to help deliver supplies to civilians in the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine and was ready to cooperate on the matter.” 

According to Reuters, the Kremlin said in a statement, “The Vatican’s intention to help create the conditions necessary to ensure the safety of the town’s population and to organise vital supplies has been supported” and “It has been agreed to cooperate on this matter.”