Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Francis in the Vatican.
During the encounter, the 45-year-old offered the religious leader a bulletproof vest with an image of Madonna on it that had been worn by a Ukrainian soldier.
“It is a great honor,” Zelensky remarked, placing his hand on his heart and dropping his head as he approached the Pope.
The Ukrainian president subsequently posted a photo on social media, declaring that he was “grateful” for “the personal attention of the people of Ukraine.”
Pope to the agony of millions of Ukrainians,” they said, adding that they had spoken about “tens of thousands” of children deported from Russia.
The Ukrainian president last saw the Pope in the Vatican in 2020, and the two have spoken on the phone multiple times since the war began.
At the start of the war, the Pope attempted to be a mediator by taking a balanced attitude, but eventually proceeded to severely denounce Russia’s activities, comparing them to some of the greatest atrocities against Ukraine during the Soviet era.