Moscow, June 4, INTERFAX.RU – President Vladimir Putin has held a telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV, the Kremlin press service reported.
Putin expressed his gratitude to the pontiff for his willingness to assist in resolving the Ukrainian crisis. The president also voiced hope that the Holy See would take a more active stance in supporting freedom of religion in Ukraine.
Pope Leo XIV had previously offered the Vatican as a venue for Russian-Ukrainian negotiations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented that the Vatican would be a less elegant setting for talks than Istanbul.
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