Italy: The President of Ukraine, Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky, is visiting Rome, where he will meet with Italian political leaders and have an audience with Pope Francis.

“An important visit for the approaching victory of Ukraine,” Mr. Zelensky tweeted as he landed in the Italian capital. Due to the nature of the Ukrainian President’s visit, a large security operation has been launched, with over 1,000 police deployed and a no-fly zone over Rome.

Pope Francis has previously expressed his willingness to act as a mediator in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. In fact, earlier in May 2023, the Pope revealed that the Vatican was working on a peace plan to end the war. However, the relationship between Ukraine and the Vatican has not always been smooth. In 2022, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican criticised the Pope for his comments about a Russian ultra-nationalist figure.

This will be the first time President Zelensky and Pope Francis will meet since Russia invaded Ukraine. The visit comes at a time when Russia has carried out new air strikes on Ukrainian cities, resulting in injuries to three people and damage to critical infrastructure, homes, and government buildings. In addition, there were reports of explosions in the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk. Ukrainian forces have also reported making progress near the city of Bakhmut.

Despite the challenges, Mr. Zelensky’s visit to Rome is significant as he seeks support and solidarity from Italy and the Vatican amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.

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