Pope calls Putin from hospital bed to request Ukraine ceasefire

Pope Leo XIV called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask for a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky. The call came just three days after the 71-year-old pope had surgery to remove part of his right lung due to cancer. He was still in hospital when he made the call.

The pope asked Putin to stop fighting so that civilians could leave the city safely. He also asked for food and medicine to be sent in. Around 2,000 people are trapped in Oleshky without food, clean water, or electricity. The city's hospital is barely working and has had no food deliveries since May.

Putin said he supported the Vatican's goal of protecting civilians and delivering supplies. Both sides agreed to work together on humanitarian efforts.