Pope Leo XIV Criticizes Trump Administration, Stresses Europe’s Necessity in Ukraine Peace Plan

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, issued a forceful rebuke Tuesday against the Trump administration's apparent drive to dismantle the decades-old transatlantic alliance, declaring that any viable peace settlement for Ukraine must incorporate European nations as equal architects rather than sidelined observers in a process increasingly dominated by Washington-Moscow negotiations.

Speaking to assembled reporters outside his Castel Gandolfo residence following a private audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—who continues his urgent European tour to shore up flagging support for Kyiv—the pontiff emphasized the geographical and moral imperative of continental involvement, stating unequivocally that excluding Europe from ceasefire talks renders the entire endeavor "unrealistic" given the conflict's devastating toll on its soil.

Pope Leo XIV highlighted ongoing Vatican initiatives to mediate the repatriation of thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russian forces, recounting his recent emotional encounter with a group of returned minors at the Holy See, while underscoring the broader imperative for immediate de-escalation through mutual security assurances that bind not just Ukraine and Russia but the entire Euro-Atlantic community.

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The pontiff's pointed remarks appeared to reference the Trump White House's freshly unveiled national security strategy, which openly questions the sustainability of the US-European partnership and signals a pivot toward warmer bilateral ties with Moscow, prompting Leo to warn that such shifts threaten to "make a huge change" in an alliance forged through blood and shared values over generations.

Maintaining the Holy See's scrupulous neutrality amid the Kremlin's invasion—while extending tangible humanitarian aid to Ukraine's "martyred" populace—Leo XIV has now convened Zelenskyy for a third summit and engaged Russian President Vladimir Putin via secure telephony, repeatedly imploring both sides to initiate goodwill measures and multilateral dialogue that honors Europe's indispensable stake in forging a lasting continental peace.

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