Everything Pope Leo said to Putin as

Pope Leo, the first American pope, spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 4, marking their first conversation since Leo became head of the Catholic Church. The Vatican confirmed the call, which focused heavily on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Pope Leo urged Putin to consider steps toward peace and emphasized the importance of dialogue. He also discussed humanitarian concerns, the need for aid delivery, and prisoner exchanges, recognizing the efforts of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Vatican’s peace envoy. The call highlighted Leo’s continued commitment to resolving the Ukraine conflict.

The Kremlin also confirmed the conversation, stating that Putin appreciated the Pope’s peace efforts but accused Ukraine of escalating the war through attacks on Russian infrastructure. Putin repeated Russia’s position that the conflict’s root causes—such as Ukraine’s relationship with NATO—must be addressed for peace to be possible. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he too had spoken with Putin recently, discussing recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian aircraft. Although Trump described the 75-minute call as “good,” he admitted it was unlikely to bring immediate peace and warned of potential further escalations.