Pope Leo hopes Oleshky truce will advance Ukraine-Russia peace efforts

Pope Leo said on Sunday he hoped cooperation between Russia and Ukraine in implementing a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky would pave the way for broader peace efforts.

Ukraine and Russia said on October 23 they had agreed to a ceasefire in Oleshky, brokered by US first lady Melania Trump with the additional involvement of Pope Leo, to allow aid deliveries and evacuations from the frontline town, which has been suffering acute food and medicine shortages.

"A humanitarian operation has been carried out to help the civilian population in the city of Oleshky. I hope that the cooperation between the parties, which made this necessary humanitarian gesture possible, will strengthen their willingness to engage in dialogue and lead to fresh concrete initiatives for peace," Pope Leo said during his Sunday prayer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said peace negotiators would meet for fresh talks in early November.

Pope Leo spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy on October 16. Putin told Leo that he supported a Vatican initiative to deliver supplies to civilians in Oleshky and was ready to cooperate, the Kremlin said.

On Tuesday, the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, said that although Leo had recently spoken with Putin and Zelenskiy, he did not believe the Vatican had played a direct role in arranging the six-day ceasefire.

-Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro, editing by Ros Russell/Reuters