Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday and thanked him for the Vatican’s efforts to return children taken by Russia and again suggested the Vatican could host peace talks.

Pope Leo told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters he was “relying heavily on the Vatican” in peace efforts with Russia, which initiated a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022.