Pope urges 'continuation of dialogue' after meeting Ukraine's Zelenskyy

Pope Leo stressed the need to continue with dialogue aiming at a "just and lasting peace" during a meeting on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Vatican said in a statement.

The pope "reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace," the statement said.

"In addition, the questions of prisoners of war and the need to assure the return of Ukrainian children to their families were also discussed", said the Vatican, which has mediated between Kyiv and Moscow on the children issue.

Zelenskyy met Leo at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo, about 30 km south east of the Vatican and is due to see Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome later in the day.

The talks with the pope and Meloni come amid efforts by Zelenskyy, with the help of European allies, to balance out a US-backed draft peace deal with Russia that is widely seen as favourable to Moscow.