Why the Pope says it’s time for Ukraine and Russia to talk
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Pope Leo (البابا لاون) urged Ukraine and Russia to show courage and start direct talks to end the war, during his Christmas Urbi et Orbi address in St. Peter’s Square.
War in Ukraine still drains money, safety and stability from millions of families, including yours if you follow prices, energy costs or global security. The Pope also linked this to pain in Gaza, showing how these fights tie together. When leaders talk, things can shift faster than expected. Washington keeps trying to bring Kyiv and Moscow to one table but so far no one sits, raising bigger questions about how long this war keeps grinding.
The Pope pushed both sides to pick courage over more fighting, saying honest dialogue with strong international support can open a real path to a truce. He also called out new trouble in Thailand and Cambodia, asking leaders there to calm tensions and work on reconciliation. During an earlier Mass, he expressed regret over the growing number of people displaced by wars that leaders could stop if they talked more and fought less. In Gaza, he questioned why Palestinians still suffer in tents after two years of war, highlighting cold storms, destroyed homes, and shrinking aid supplies. Aid groups face rising needs for tents, short food and medical stocks, and slower supply routes due to winter storms. Israel’s COGAT denied blocking supplies, claiming it moved about 310,000 tents since the ceasefire started, a claim that is part of a heated debate between aid groups and Israeli officials. The Pope concluded that leaders can keep fighting or start talking, emphasizing that peace in one place tends to steady nerves globally.
The Pope delivered his urgent message during the Christmas Urbi et Orbi address in St. Peter’s Square. Throughout his speech, he highlighted multiple global conflict zones, urging direct dialogue and courage to pursue peace. Visual contrasts are drawn between the hopeful call for talks between Ukraine and Russia against the grim realities faced by displaced peoples, particularly in Gaza with harsh winter conditions and scarce aid. The symbolism of the Pope’s position and tone underscores the power of leadership and the global interconnectedness of these conflicts.