Pope Leo says he hopes co-operation between Russia and Ukraine in implementing a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky will pave the way for broader peace efforts.
Ukraine and Russia said on October 23 they had agreed to a ceasefire in Oleshky, brokered by US first lady Melania Trump with the additional involvement of Pope Leo, to allow aid deliveries and relocations from the frontline town, which has been suffering acute food and medicine shortages.
"A humanitarian operation has been carried out to help the civilian population in the city of Oleshky. I hope that the co-operation between the parties, which made this necessary humanitarian gesture possible, will strengthen their willingness to engage in dialogue and lead to fresh concrete initiatives for peace," Pope Leo said during his Sunday prayer.
An estimated 2000 civilians were in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold.
They were offered the choice of moving to territory controlled by Ukraine or Russia, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies.
For the safety of those who have stayed, exact numbers were not released after the city's evacuation.
At the Ukrainian border on Saturday, family members waited for a glimpse of their loved ones while the residents of nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights to greet the humanitarian convoy.
The Kremlin has a positive view of how the humanitarian operation was conducted in Oleshky as well as of the co-ordination between the two countries' human rights commissioners, Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said peace negotiators would meet for fresh talks in early November.
The Pope spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy on October 16.
Putin told Leo that he supported a Vatican initiative to deliver supplies to civilians in Oleshky and was ready to co-operate, the Kremlin said.
On Tuesday, the Vatican's foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher said that although Leo had recently spoken with Putin and Zelenskiy, he did not believe the Vatican had played a direct role in arranging the six-day ceasefire.
with AP
