Pope Leo says he hopes Trump-Putin meeting leads to ceasefire in Ukraine

['Catholic News Service', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] News - America Magazine 2025-08-13 00:00:00

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — Arriving in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV told reporters he hoped U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin can find a way to reach a ceasefire in Russia’s war on Ukraine when they meet in Alaska. Reporters were in the crowd that waited to welcome the pope back to the papal summer villa Aug. 13, and a journalist from the Italian agency ANSA asked him what his hopes for the Aug. 15 Trump-Putin meeting were. “I’m always hoping for a ceasefire,” the pope said. The reporter also asked Pope Leo if he was worried about the humanitarian situation in Gaza as Israel continues its military operations to destroy Hamas, which attacked Israel in October 2023, killing close to 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds of others. The pope said he was “very” worried.