Pope Leo XIV calls for concessions to achieve peace in Ukraine amid protracted war

That is according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

Speaking to European leaders in Metz, Pope Leo XIV said that "war has returned, even to Europe" and described it as "a new senseless slaughter, claiming countless civilian lives every day."

Without referring directly to the war in Ukraine, the pontiff called on the parties to show a willingness to compromise.

"We need ... to show courage in negotiation and to be willing to give up some positions for the greater good of peace," he urged, invoking a similar 1917 appeal from Pope Benedict XV amid the carnage of the First World War.

Leo also reiterated his opposition to rising European military spending, which grew last year by the highest amount since the end of the Cold War amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian assertiveness.

"We must also guard against the illusion that rearmament is the answer. Today we must ask whether we are truly making creative efforts to advance world peace, or whether we are simply seeking to 'stem the tide of war' and better prepare ourselves for wars that we assume are still to come," he said.

During his speech, Leo XIV also urged European leaders to integrate migrants arriving on the continent and offer them opportunities as if they were family members. The pontiff urged Europe to recall the founding values of the EU, including the ​rule of law and the equality of all people without distinction of race, color, class or profession.

Pope Leo XIV arrived in France from Rome on September 25, beginning the fifth apostolic journey of his pontificate.

Photo: Vatican Media