Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Pope Francis have met three times in total. The first, in May 2023, came when the Ukrainian president travelled to the Vatican.
The second took place during the G7 in Bari last June. The two leaders held a private meeting on the side lines of the summit, which brought together the world’s top politicians.
This week saw the third meeting take place. During the meeting president Zelenskyy gave Pope Francis a painting, which represents the “massacre of Bucha” from the point of view of an imaginary girl. The massacre by Russian troops took the lives of more than 600 civilians.
Zelenskyy’s trip is part of an express tour the president is making of Western European capitals. The objective is to seek military support to stop the war in Ukraine.