Rome (Italy), September 29, 2026, BNN Web Staff: Pope Leo XIV has urged Russia and Ukraine to return to dialogue and seek a negotiated way out of the ongoing war, saying the Church will continue calling on world leaders to pursue alternatives to armed conflict.
The Pope made the remarks while speaking to journalists aboard his flight from Metz to Rome on Monday, at the conclusion of his four-day apostolic visit to France.
Vatican News reported that he also criticised growing military expenditure and the economic interests surrounding the arms industry.
Leo XIV said the Catholic Church’s social teaching rejects violence and hatred and warned against relying on increased weapons spending as a response to international tensions.
He argued that the enormous sums being spent on military industries could instead be directed towards issues such as hunger, housing and unemployment.
The Pope said the Church had a responsibility to repeatedly encourage countries involved in conflicts to choose dialogue and negotiations.
He specifically referred to Russia and Ukraine, urging their leaders to “come, to sit down, to engage in dialogue” and seek ways to resolve their differences without prolonging wars that, in his words, “no longer make sense.”
Leo XIV acknowledged that the Church could not compel governments to follow its appeals but said it would continue speaking out in favour of peace and dialogue.
His comments came as fighting between Russia and Ukraine continued, with Ukrainian authorities reporting casualties following Russian strikes across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that emergency services were responding to a strike on the National Academy of Sciences building in Kyiv. He initially reported one person killed and six injured, including three children.
Zelenskyy called for increased international pressure on Russia and said Ukraine needed continued support from European countries, the United States and other partners.
Other reports on the September 28 attacks said Russian strikes hit several locations in Kyiv, as well as other Ukrainian cities, with casualties reported among civilians.
The Pope’s appeal also comes amid continuing diplomatic and humanitarian efforts by the Holy See. Vatican News reported that Cardinal Matteo Zuppi was undertaking a mission to Moscow focused on humanitarian issues involving Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war, children separated from their families and other consequences of the conflict.
Earlier, on September 26, US President Donald Trump said after meeting Zelenskyy that he wanted Russia and Ukraine to reach a settlement to end the war.
