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

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. "There must be an end to the violence and so many deaths. Let's see how they can reach an agreement because the war has been going on too long."

Pope Leo said that it is not even clear what the point of the war is, "so one must always seek dialogue, diplomacy and not violence."

The pope also noted that just a few hours earlier, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a video call with Trump.

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. "It cannot continue like this."

"We know the violence, the terrorism" of Hamas, he said, and "we respect the many who died and the hostages, who must be released, but there also are many who are dying of hunger."