Pope Leo voices 'solidarity' with Ukraine amid escalating attacks on civilians

Prefer on Google by Abbey Fenbert Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd as he arrives to lead a Holy Rosary Prayer in Muxima, Angola, on April 19, 2026. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP via Getty Images) Pope Leo XIV expressed his solidarity for Ukraine amid escalating attacks against civilians in a social media post on April 19. "I am deeply saddened by the recent escalation of attacks against Ukraine, which continue to afflict civilians," he wrote on X. "I express my solidarity with those who are suffering and assure all the Ukrainian people of my prayers. I renew my appeal for weapons to fall silent and for the path of dialogue to be pursued." The pope's comments come just days after Russia launched a deadly mass missile attack against Ukrainian cities that killed at least 17 civilians and injured over 100. The victims included children and first responders. The day before the pope's statement, civilians in Kyiv were also terrorized by a mass shooter who killed six people and wounded 14 others at a supermarket on April 18. That same week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that resuming peace talks with Ukraine is not a "top priority" for the Kremlin. Zelensky and the pope have previously spoken about Russia's escalating mass attacks on Ukraine, holding a phone call on April 3 to discuss peace negotiations and Kyiv's proposal for an Easter ceasefire. In the days since, Russia reportedly violated the brief Easter truce nearly 11,000 times, targeted civilian transportation with deadly strikes, and launched a mass ballistic missile attack. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on April 18 that Russia plans to carry out seven large-scale drone and missile attacks against Ukraine per month Since assuming the papacy last year, Pope Leo XIV has called for "a just and lasting peace" in Ukraine and offered to host negotiations at the Vatican. Zelensky has supported the proposal, while Russian officials have rejected the initiative. Before becoming pope, Leo XIV — then known as Robert Prevost — criticized Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In his role as pontiff, he has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.