Zelenskyy secures Italian aid assurances, asks Pope to support Ukraine peace plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had private talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, later saying he sought support for his peace plan from the pontiff, who in the past has offered to try to help end the full-scale war launched by Russia a year ago.

Zelenskyy held his hand over his heart and said it was a "great honour" to meet with the Pope. Francis, using a cane for his knee problem, came to greet the Ukrainian president before ushering him into a papal studio near the Vatican's audience hall.

In a tweet after the 40-minute audience, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Francis for "his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians."

He said he spoke with the pontiff "about the tens of thousands of deported [Ukrainian] children. We must make every effort to return them home."

Last month, Ukraine's prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, asked the Pope to help get the children returned from Russia to Ukraine. But the Vatican's statement Saturday made no mention of the request.

Instead, the Vatican said the two men spoke about Ukraine's "humanitarian and political situation provoked by the war going on.″

Zelenskyy: Condemn Russian 'crimes'

Zelenskyy also said that he asked the Pope to condemn Russian "crimes in Ukraine" because "there can be no equality between the victim and the aggressor."

"I also talked about our Peace Formula as the only effective algorithm for achieving a just peace,'' Zelenskyy said.

Later, in an interview on Italian state TV, the Ukrainian leader said the Pope "knows my position. The war is in Ukraine, that is why it has to be Ukraine's plan" to bring peace.

Zelenskyy's 10-point plan would establish a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes. It would also create a European-Atlantic security architecture with guarantees for Ukraine, restore Ukraine's damaged power infrastructure and ensure safety around Europe's largest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia.

Italy affirms Ukraine support

Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy received from Italian officials pledges of both open-ended military and financial support as well as stronger backing for Ukraine's cherished aim to join the European Union.

"The message is clear and simple," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said after a meeting with Zelenskyy that lasted more than an hour.

"The future of Ukraine is a future of peace and freedom. And it's the future of Europe, a future of peace and freedom, for which there are no other possible solutions.''

The prime minister, who staunchly supports military aid for Ukraine, said Italy would back the country "360 degrees for all the time necessary and beyond."

Separately, when welcoming the Ukrainian leader, Italian President Sergio Mattarella told Zelenskyy: "We are fully at your side,"

Later, after their meeting, presidential palace sources said Mattarella assured his guest that Italy would continue supporting Ukraine militarily and financially, as well as with reconstruction and humanitarian aid.

Since the war began, Italy has contributed about one billion euros (close to $1.5 billion Cdn) in military and financial aid, as well as humanitarian assistance.

Zelenskyy is believed to be heading to Berlin next for what would be his first visit to Germany since the war began. The exact schedule wasn't announced because of security concerns.

At the end of April, flying back to Rome from a trip to Hungary, Francis told reporters on the plane that the Vatican was involved in a behind-the-scene peace mission but gave no details. Neither Russia nor Ukraine has confirmed such an initiative.

He has said he would like to go to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, if such a visit could be coupled with one to Moscow, in hopes a papal pilgrimage could further the cause of peace.

There has been speculation about whether the Vatican could play some mediating role. But in the Italian TV interview on Saturday, Zelenskyy indicated mediation in general would be impossible. "You can't mediate with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,'' he said.

Germany 'serious in its support'

The German government, meanwhile, said it was providing Ukraine with additional military aid worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3.97 billion Cdn), including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin wants to show with the latest package of arms "that Germany is serious in its support" for Ukraine.

"Germany will provide all the help it can, as long as it takes," he said.

In other developments, Russian shelling on Saturday killed two civilians — including a 15-year-old girl — and wounded 10 more in Kostyantynivka, a city less than 30 kilometres west of Bakhmut, the regional prosecutor's office said.

Also, a "massive" Russian barrage overnight damaged an energy facility in Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said Saturday morning. It said the power supply in the region wasn't affected.

On Friday and early into Saturday, Russian forces resumed their shelling of Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, killing a civilian, local Gov. Oleh Syniehubov reported on the Telegram messaging service. Four civilians were killed over the same period in Ukraine's front-line Donetsk province in the east, said its governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko.