Putin accuses Ukraine of escalating conflict during phone conversation with Pope Leo XIV

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation Wednesday with Pope Leo XIV, in which he accused the Kyiv government of "betting" for an escalation in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

According to a Kremlin statement, Putin noted that the “Kyiv regime is betting on escalating the conflict, carrying out sabotage against civilian infrastructure facilities on Russian territory.”

The call, described as "constructive," marked the first direct contact between the two leaders since the pontiff's election last May.

The Kremlin reported that Putin again congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election as the 267th pontiff and wished him success in "fulfilling such a high mission."

During the conversation, both leaders expressed their intention to strengthen ties between Russia and the Holy See, based on "shared spiritual and moral values" to promote a "more just world order."

Putin also reiterated his interest in achieving peace in Ukraine through political and diplomatic means, stressing the need to address the "root causes" of the conflict to achieve a “final, fair and comprehensive resolution.”

The Russian statement underscored the agreements reached at the second round of peace talks in Istanbul the previous Monday, saying Moscow is taking steps to reunite children with their families.

In addition, Putin expressed gratitude to the Pope for the Vatican's readiness to contribute in a “depoliticized basis” manner to the resolution of urgent humanitarian issues, such as assistance to victims of the conflict and the exchange of prisoners.

For its part, the Vatican confirmed the phone call in an official statement, indicating that Pope Leo XIV and Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine with a focus on peace.

The pope called on Russia to make a gesture favoring peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to establish positive contacts and seek solutions to the conflict.

The humanitarian crisis, the need to facilitate aid, efforts to exchange prisoners and Cardinal Zuppi's work in this area were also addressed.

The pope thanked Patriarch Kirill for his good wishes at the beginning of his pontificate and stressed how shared Christian values can guide the search for peace, the defense of life and the promotion of religious freedom.