Leo speaks to Zelenskyy as hopes for Easter ceasefire falter

‘This Holy Thursday and Good Friday were marked by drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. And ceaselessly,’ said Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the apostolic nuncio to Ukraine.

Pope Leo spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on the morning of Good Friday, affirming “his closeness to the Ukrainian people”.

A statement from the Holy See Press Office following the call said the Pope and President Zelenskyy “discussed the humanitarian situation, emphasising the urgency of ensuring that the necessary aid reaches the people suffering from the conflict”.

“Reference was also made to efforts aimed at promoting humanitarian initiatives, especially regarding the release of prisoners,” it said.

On Thursday, Russian forces began a series of missile and drone strikes across five regions of Ukraine which continued into Friday.

“Not a single hour of peace for our people, and this is Russia’s response to our proposal for an Easter ceasefire,” Zelenskyy told Leo, according to a statement from the president’s office.

“Essentially, the Russians have only intensified their strikes, turning what should have been silence in the skies into an Easter escalation.”

On Monday Zelenskyy said Ukraine was “ready for a ceasefire during the Easter holidays” and even “ready for any compromises, except for compromises regarding our dignity and sovereignty”.

A Kremlin spokesman claimed Zelenskyy’s proposal was not “clearly defined” and said he must “take responsibility and make the appropriate decision so that we can attain peace, not just a ceasefire”.

Zelenskyy’s office said he told Pope Leo that Russia’s rejection of ceasefire proposals “cannot be ignored”, and that they discussed “the negotiation process and the work with the American team” in reaching a peace agreement.

The Holy See statement reported that “hope was once again expressed that, with the commitment and cooperation of the international community, hostilities may cease as soon as possible and a just and lasting peace may be achieved”.

The apostolic nuncio to Ukraine Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas told The Tablet that he did not know the prospect for an Easter ceasefire “according to the Latin calendar, the Gregorian calendar, this Holy Thursday and Good Friday – that is, today – were marked by drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. And ceaselessly.”

“For most Russians, of course, Easter is a week from now. This week means nothing to them, except for the Catholics living in Russia, of whom there are not that many,” said Kulbokas, speaking from Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine – one of regions subject to the latest Russian strikes.

Although the Ukrainian state and many Churches – including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine – have moved fixed feast days such as Christmas to the western calendar, Easter is still calculated according to the eastern Paschal Cycle, falling on 12 April in 2026.

Following his conversation with Leo, Zelenskyy said he was “especially grateful that the Pope remembers Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and prays for peace for our nation”, and that the country “would be glad to welcome” him.

Kulbokas said he had no further information regarding the prospects of an apostolic journey to Ukraine, while “ultimately, the decision rests with the Pope himself and his closest advisors”.

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