Pope Leo Calls Putin From Hospital, Urges Ceasefire, Aid To Starving Ukrainians

Pope Leo XIV has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians facing starvation in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.

The pope appealed during a telephone conversation with Putin on Thursday, October 16, amid growing concerns over the humanitarian crisis in the partially occupied Kherson region of Ukraine.

The Holy See Press Office disclosed that Pope Leo, who is at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital following lung cancer surgery on October 13, “expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky.”

According to the press office, the pontiff “called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population.”

He also “reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace.”

The pope’s intervention followed a September 19 appeal by the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations (UCCRO), which urged him and other global religious leaders to address the worsening humanitarian situation.

Oleshky and its surrounding communities are estimated to have more than 6,000 civilians, including about 200 children, who are “effectively trapped in a ‘grey zone’ near the front line,” according to UCCRO.

The council said Russian forces had imposed a “humanitarian blockade,” with food supplies last “delivered to the area at the end of May.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, also accused Russian officials of repeatedly refusing to permit civilian evacuations and humanitarian aid deliveries to the affected communities.

In a September 21 Facebook post, Sybiha said “chilling accounts are emerging” from Oleshky, where residents reportedly “scavenge for food scraps and gather grass, as there is simply no other food available.”

The pope’s call coincided with his message for World Food Day, observed on October 16, in which he described “regular access to safe, adequate and sufficient food” as “a basic human right to be safeguarded by nations.”

Meanwhile, the Kremlin confirmed the telephone conversation, describing it as taking place “in a constructive atmosphere of mutual respect,” according to Reuters.

Putin wished the pope a speedy recovery and “thanked the pope for his willingness” to assist in “resolving the conflict” and “for his humanitarian efforts,” the Kremlin said.

The Russian president also provided “a detailed explanation” of what the Kremlin described as Kyiv’s “responsibility” for the humanitarian situation in Oleshky.

The Kremlin said Putin expressed support for the Vatican’s efforts to ensure civilian safety and deliver essential humanitarian assistance.

“It has been agreed to cooperate on this matter,” the Kremlin added.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has issued several warnings in recent months about what it described as a “dire” and “Russian-manufactured humanitarian crisis” in Oleshky.

In its October 2 assessment, the institute said the city had not received food deliveries since May 26, while drone attacks, mines and Russian occupation forces had prevented residents from fleeing.

ISW accused Russia of having “deliberately weaponised deprivation and bureaucratic mismanagement,” warning that the blockade had placed “thousands at risk of disease, starvation, and abuse at the hands of Russian forces.”

The blockade has also worsened the effects of previous destruction in the region. According to UCCRO, Oleshky was among the cities affected by flooding following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Kherson in 2023.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says international humanitarian law requires the “rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.”

Russia’s war against Ukraine began in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Reports by the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights have classified Russia’s actions in Ukraine as genocide.