Pope urges Russia, Ukraine to discuss how to end their four-year war

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT - Pope Leo on Monday urged Russia and Ukraine to sit down and discuss how to end their four-year war, hours after he had urged European leaders seeking to end conflicts to make concessions to achieve peace.

The first US pope also decried national leaders who he said are "beginning to speak about nuclear weapons and wars that are becoming ever more destructive," addressing a press conference aboard his flight to Rome after a four-day trip to France.

Leo said the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church has an obligation to call for peace and respect of human life.

"The Church has a responsibility to promote these values, continually inviting leaders -- from Russia and Ukraine, as well as other countries -- to come together, sit down, engage in dialogue," said the pope.

He said leaders must "seek ways to solve problems without continuing these wars, which no longer make sense."

"This is not about being political or nonpolitical, but there needs to be a voice that seeks to promote the values of human dignity, the importance of life, and the possibility of perhaps spending more on health and education and less on weapons," said Leo.

Earlier on Monday, the pope said Europe must be willing to sacrifice some positions to achieve peace in a speech in Metz, France, where he laid out his clearest vision yet for the future of the continent.

-Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Alistair Bell/Reuters