Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy plans to attend the inaugural Mass of newly elected Pope Leo at the Vatican on Sunday, war commitments permitting, a top presidential aide told Reuters on Tuesday.

Pope Leo XIV may visit Ukraine on his first foreign trip - Türkiye and Peru are also under consideration, La Repubblica reports. Visit to Ukraine According to the media outlet, one of the potential countries for the Pope's first visit could be Ukraine,

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke by phone with newly elected Pope Leo XIV on Monday and said they discussed Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and a proposal from allies for a 30-day ceasefire which Moscow has so far not accepted.

P olitical figures around the world have congratulated Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, after his election on Thursday, May 8, as Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Hailing from Chicago and a dual U.S.-Peru national, Prevost is the first North American Pope and second from the Americas, after his late predecessor Francis.

Some conservatives and traditionalist Catholics are cautiously optimistic over the historic election of Pope Leo XIV

Leo gave a prepared address and then opened the floor to any cardinal who wanted to make a comment, a different format to what previous popes have done.

Pope Leo XIV has called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the “precious gift of free speech and the press.”