Pope Leo Phones Putin From Hospital to Plead for Aid to Besieged Ukrainian Town

Pope Leo Putin Oleshky call: Pope Leo XIV telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin from his hospital bed in Rome on Friday, urging a ceasefire so that food, medical aid and first aid supplies can reach the besieged Ukrainian town of Oleshky, the Vatican said.

FAKTA

• Who called: Pope Leo XIV, 71, recovering at Rome’s Gemelli hospital after surgery for lung cancer
• The call: a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday — only the second papal call of Leo’s pontificate
• The appeal: a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance to Oleshky, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of its civilian population
• The response: the Kremlin said Putin backed the Vatican’s intention to help civilians in Oleshky and was ready to cooperate; its statement did not mention a ceasefire
• The town: Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region, under Russian control since February 2022, now facing what the Vatican called a deepening food crisis

Pope Leo Putin Oleshky call: a plea from the hospital

The Vatican announced the surprise call on Friday evening, saying the pontiff had expressed “deep concern” about the grave humanitarian situation in Oleshky. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters afterward that the call had been the pope’s own initiative — Leo wanted “to plead the cause of this besieged city.”

According to the Kremlin, Putin told the pope he supported the Vatican’s intention to help create the conditions necessary for the safety of the town’s population and to organise vital supplies. “It has been agreed to cooperate on this matter,” the Kremlin statement said, adding that Putin had wished Leo a speedy and full recovery. The Vatican also reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to any initiatives for peace.

The two leaders are known to have spoken once before, in June 2025.

Oleshky’s humanitarian crisis

Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region, was taken by Russian forces in February 2022. The town had a pre-war population of about 24,000; the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Danielle Bell, says around 1,700 residents remain, including 47 children, while Ukrainian authorities put the figure at roughly 2,000 and say supply routes for food and medicine are blocked.

Russia has acknowledged critical problems with food and medical supplies in Oleshky and said its military was working to resolve them, blaming Ukraine for obstructing supplies. Ukraine, in turn, says it is Russia that is thwarting food deliveries, and has accused Moscow of deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe in the town. Both sides accuse each other of blocking supplies to the civilian population, while Ukrainian forces have said they want to retake the town.

Pope recovering after lung surgery

The call offers another indication that the 71-year-old pontiff is returning to work just days after undergoing surgery on Tuesday, in which doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed he has cancer.

The Vatican said earlier on Friday that Leo is showing steady improvement and is able to work and carry out normal daily activities. At midday he led Mass in a makeshift chapel on the hospital’s 10th floor, attended by off-duty medical and nursing staff, and on Friday morning he underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray. He is expected to recite the traditional Angelus prayers on Sunday — his first public appearance since the treatment.

For more on the war in Ukraine and its humanitarian fallout, see Watan News’ World section.