Pope Leo the Fourteenth has called for a global truce on Christmas Day, expressing sadness that Russia has apparently rejected a request for a ceasefire. He made the appeal on Tuesday while speaking to reporters at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome.
The pope urged people of goodwill to respect at least one day of peace to mark the birth of Christ. He said he hoped there could be 24 hours of calm across the world, amid ongoing conflicts.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has repeatedly dismissed calls for a ceasefire, saying it would give Ukraine a military advantage. Meanwhile, Ukraine said it had withdrawn troops from a town in the east after heavy fighting, as Russian strikes killed civilians and disrupted power supplies during winter.
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There has been no sign of a breakthrough in efforts to end the war, despite recent separate talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials and the United States. Pope Leo, who met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month, said a peace process without European diplomatic involvement would be unrealistic.
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