VATICAN CITY, April 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Leo XIV had telephone 
conversations Friday ahead with the presidents of Israel and Ukraine in which 
he wished for peace amid ongoing wars, the Vatican said.

The American-born pope spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and, 
separately, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the 
humanitarian situation in each war zone was discussed, the Vatican said in 
individual statements.

The pope and Herzog "reaffirmed the need to reopen all possible channels of 
diplomatic dialogue to bring an end to the serious ongoing conflict, with a 
view to achieving a just and lasting peace throughout the Middle East," a 
statement said.

"The conversation also focused on the importance of protecting the civilian 
population and promoting respect for international and humanitarian law," it 
added.

The calls happened as the pontiff was observing the Catholic Holy Week 
leading up to Easter on Sunday, and while Herzog was marking Jewish Passover 
into next week, and as Zelensky, a Jew, was preparing to see Ukraine 
celebrate Orthodox Easter, which this year falls on April 12.

With Zelensky, Leo expressed his "best wishes for the Easter holidays" and 
both leaders discussed the "urgency of providing the necessary aid to the 
population suffering from the conflict."

"Reference was also made to efforts aimed at promoting humanitarian 
initiatives, especially regarding the release of prisoners.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the Vatican has sought to 
play a mediating role behind the scenes, in particular trying to bring about 
prisoner exchanges through its diplomatic channels.

Leo and Zelensky evoked hopes that "with the commitment and cooperation of 
the international community, hostilities may cease as soon as possible and a 
just and lasting peace may be achieved," read a statement.

In February, Leo said that peace in Ukraine, where the war has dragged on for 
more than four years, was "an urgent necessity".

Regarding the war in the Middle East, this week Leo called on world leaders 
to "come back to the table to dialogue", saying he hoped that US President 
Donald Trump was "looking for an off-ramp".