The Pope can visit any city in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the Argentinian publication Nacion.
The president also expressed hope that Pope Francis will be able to discuss with him the issue of supporting the Ukrainian “peace formula”.
Zelensky said that there are many Catholics in Ukraine who are grateful to the Pope for his prayers. According to him, “these are important signs not only for Catholics, but also for atheists, because Pope Francis is an important figure.”
“We invited the Pope to Ukraine. I would like him to be able to come to any city, not necessarily to the capital. He is welcome to come because there are other important issues that need to be resolved in other cities,” said the president of Ukraine. According to him, such a visit is “always an important signal from the point of view of support of Ukrainian society.”
Zelensky said that he appreciates the efforts of the Vatican regarding peace initiatives on Ukraine, in particular the work of interlocutor Cardinal Dzuppi. The authorities also hope, with the help of the Pope, to ensure the return of Ukrainian children and prisoners of war held in the Russian Federation.
“Regarding the return of children and prisoners, the Pope told me that he will continue to do everything to this end. If he can help us get the children back, that will be enough. If he can come to Ukraine, it is even better, but if we had to choose, we would choose the return of deported children,” Zelensky said.
