Pope Francis renewed his invitation to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and visit Russia and Ukraine in an attempt to stop the war that has been going on since February 24.
In statements he made on the sidelines of his trip to Canada, Pope Francis expressed his willing to visit Moscow and Kiev, following his current trip in Canada, after he announced last May his readiness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, noting that he is still waiting for a response from the Russian president.
Pope Francis’ attempts began in mid-March, when he offered to go to Moscow, an invitation that he renewed in May, asking to meet Putin.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Russian army has taken control of more than 2,600 Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages.
“Ukrainian forces liberated more than 1,000 cities and towns,” Zelensky added.
Moreover, he stressed that most of those sites affected by the conflict need to be reconstructed, and hundreds of them were “completely destroyed by the Russian army.”
In addition, he noted that the conference, which Ukraine will co-host with Switzerland on Monday and Tuesday, will be an “important step in rebuilding Ukraine.”
“It is necessary not only to restore everything that was destroyed by the occupiers, but also to create a new foundation for our life and for Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president said.
Moreover, he also urged Ukrainians not to indulge in a sense of “relaxation” as the war drags on.
Zelensky added that people should continue to volunteer to help others and spread the truth about what is happening in the war to the whole world.
