What Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican can do for Ukraine

Pope Leo XIV welcoming journalists and media in the Vatican on May 12th 2025. Photo: Shutterstock

On May 7th, 133 cardinals gathered at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to elect the next pope of the Catholic Church. Known as the “conclave”, the selection process was conducted in secrecy. These religious leaders deliberated for several hours, with millions of Catholics awaiting any news anxiously as the cardinals decided who to pick.

After a few rounds of voting, the group of 133 selected the new leader of the Catholic Church. It was announced on May 8th that Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States would become the new pope. He has now adopted the papal name of Pope Leo XIV.

The news from Vatican City was well received. Thousands of Catholics gathered in the city to witness the election of their new pope, and millions more watched the announcement on their televisions as they celebrated the announcement. Now, these faithful Christians will await Pope Leo XIV’s actions and policies as he begins this new role.

Born in Chicago, Robert Prevost joined the Order of Saint Augustine. He conducted several missions to Peru during the 1980s, and he spent much of his time between that country and the United States. By 2015, he became a bishop, and in 2025, he was made a cardinal-bishop. Since then, he has been in Italy, where he was recently named the new leader of the Catholic Church.

Like his predecessor, Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV is progressive on social issues. He has called for inclusivity within the community, and he has embraced marginalized groups, migrants and the poor. Pope Leo XIV has also said that the Catholic Church needs to “build bridges and dialogue”, and that Catholics should “show [their] charity, presence and dialogue with love”. Finally, Pope Leo XIV has emphasized public service and giving back to the community. In short, given their similarities, it appears that Pope Leo XIV will seek to continue the legacy and policies of Pope Francis.

As the new leader begins his role as the head of the Catholic Church, he will likely have a long list of priorities that he will need to address. Pope Leo XIV will look to quickly build his new administration. He will also continue to explore how the Catholic Church can be a leader in the world at a time when institutions, alliances and fundamental principles are being deconstructed. Numerous conflicts and wars also continue to be waged worldwide.

One of the topics that may be on his agenda is Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Pope Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Francis, left a complicated and divided legacy when it came to the country. The former pope recognized the creation of an autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine in 2018. Then, throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, Pope Francis sent humanitarian aid and medical supplies from the Vatican to help Ukrainians in need.

Despite these actions, the former pope was criticized for suggesting to Ukrainians that they should have the “courage of the white flag”, implying that they should capitulate to Russia. He had also made blunders, such as stating that Russians and Ukrainians are brothers. In addition, Pope Francis regularly spoke with Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The pope described his relationship with the Russian religious leader as “very good”. This is despite the fact that it is well known that Patriarch Kirill has called for bloodshed in Ukraine. Finally, Pope Francis struggled to criticize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where he constantly called for peace and urged Ukraine to negotiate with Moscow. Due to these actions, several Ukrainian Catholics expressed that they were hurt by the religious leader’s comments, and they felt abandoned by the Catholic Church, believing that Pope Francis should be harder on Russia.

Given Pope Francis’s mixed record on Ukraine, Pope Leo XIV should adopt a different stance. In fact, he has an opportunity to reconcile relations between the Holy See and Kyiv.

First, Pope Leo XIV should change the Vatican’s narrative on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Rather than continuing Pope Francis’s policy of calling for peace between both countries, Pope Leo XIV should openly condemn Russia’s war. There is only one perpetrator of the war. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the United Nations has introduced dozens of resolutions condemning Russia for its unprovoked and unnecessary war. Hundreds of countries have consistently called on the Kremlin to end the war, and they have demanded a complete and unconditional withdrawal. In addition, countries across the globe have sent defence assistance and humanitarian aid to Ukraine as the world has attempted to help Kyiv defeat Russian aggression. Given this black-and-white international stance on Ukraine, Pope Leo XIV should adopt a more rigid platform on Russia. There are nearly five million Catholics in Ukraine, and the newly elected pope should state that the Holy See stands in solidarity with Kyiv. Such a shift would be openly welcomed by the Ukrainian Catholic community across the world. There are already signs of this occurring, where the newly elected pope condemned the Russians.

Second, Pope Leo XIV should dismiss the Russian narrative on the war in Ukraine. During his tenure, Pope Francis had an unfortunate habit of “repeating Russian nationalist talking points that [were] used to justify the Kremlin’s war”. This resulted in mixed messaging and confusion among those who are not well-versed in the current Russian invasion and Moscow’s imperialistic relationship with Ukraine. To avoid these blunders, Pope Leo XIV should treat Russia and Ukraine as two separate countries, and he should avoid making statements like Pope Francis had, such as stating that Ukraine was part of Russia.

Third, the Holy See should continue to send humanitarian and medical assistance to Ukraine. To date, the Vatican has provided 260 truckloads worth of humanitarian aid. The Holy See has also sent 200,000 euros worth of medicines. These past actions by the Vatican suggest that it is willing and able to help Kyiv. In addition, the assistance provided by the Holy See was welcomed by the Ukrainians, who showed their appreciation and thanks. This is an important and meaningful relationship, and the Vatican should show the international community that it will continue to stand by Ukraine by sending additional assistance.

Finally, the pope should be encouraged to visit Ukraine. The last time a pope visited the country was in 2001, when Pope John Paul II came. Since then, neither Pope Benedict XVI nor Pope Francis visited Ukraine. The circumstances now are understandably challenging as the Russians continue their bombardment of the country, but numerous world leaders have visited Ukraine to show their support throughout the war. If Pope Leo XIV were to travel to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this would further underline the Vatican’s solidarity with Ukraine. It would also be a symbolic gesture.

Overall, Pope Leo XIV will have a lot of responsibilities and challenges to address as he takes on the papacy. He will be eager to prove himself to the Catholic faithful to show them why he was selected as the new leader of the Church. He will have to work hard in this new role.

As he faces his new assignments, he should not abandon the Vatican’s relations with Ukraine. Adopting a firmer stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, continued condemnation of Russia’s actions, and additional dialogue and assistance will suggest that the Vatican takes its relationship with Ukraine seriously. For many Ukrainians disappointed (or even disgusted) with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, changes to Vatican policies on Ukraine will be welcomed. Time will tell how Pope Leo XIV’s relationship with Ukraine will unfold.

Mark Temnycky is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and an accredited freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs.

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Catholic Church, Pope Leo, religion, Russian war against Ukraine, Ukraine, Vatican