Zelenskyy speaks with Pope for over half an hour and gifts him painting depicting Bucha atrocities

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has had a private audience with Pope Francis for the third time.

As reported by Vatican News, Pope Francis's meeting with President Zelenskyy at the Vatican lasted 35 minutes, from 09:45 to 10:20.

After a private conversation in the Library's hall and the presentation of the Ukrainian delegation, the Pope presented Zelenskyy with a bronze bas-relief depicting a blossoming flower with the inscription Peace is a fragile flower. In return, Zelenskyy presented Pope Francis with an oil painting The Bucha Crime. The Story of Marichka.

The painting depicts the horrors of Russian war crimes in Bucha through the eyes of Marichka, an imaginary little girl who watched Russian soldiers torture and kill her father, mother and grandmother.

This morning, the Pope received Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez before meeting with Zelenskyy. Sánchez and Zelenskyy entered the Vatican in their respective processions through St Peter's Square and the Bell Tower and were greeted by Leonardo Sapienza, the Regent of the Pontifical House, upon arrival in the courtyard of San Damaso.

The meeting between Zelenskyy and the Pope was held behind closed doors with an interpreter and focused on the topics of war and peace for Ukraine, which Pope Francis has always defined as "tortured".

Zelenskyy also met with Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, who was accompanied by Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States.

"The discussions at the State Secretariat focused on the state of the war and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, as well as ways to bring it to an end that will lead to a just and sustainable peace in the country. In addition, some issues related to the religious life of the country were considered," the Holy See said after the meeting.

This is President Zelenskyy's third visit to the Vatican. He previously visited in February 2020 and April 2023.

Zelenskyy and Pope Francis also met on 14 July at the G7 summit hosted by Italy.

The day before, Zelenskyy arrived in Rome and met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. At the meeting, he presented Meloni with the Victory Plan.

Also on Friday, Zelenskyy is expected in Berlin, where he will hold talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.